MWDC: Batman: Dark Crusade
by Finmonster
Summary: Gotham City is a cesspool of corruption and crime. Something that Bruce Wayne is all too familiar with. Watch as he begins his crusade to bring the guilty to justice and safety to the innocent. Book 2 of Part 2.
1. The Bat Chooses

Disclaimer: I own nothing

**Marvelous World of DC: Part 2: Book 2:**

**Batman: Dark Crusade  
**

**Chapter 1: The Bat Chooses**

_After the fall_

_We'll shake it off_

_Show me the way_

-"Blow Me Away" Breaking Benjamin

_August 20__th__, 1994_

"Tony!" a young boy called, "Hey Tony, wait up!"

A young boy raced through a large garden. Looming over the garden was an old, ornate mansion. The young boy looked about eight years old, with short, black hair and brown eyes. He wore simple brown pants, a green button up t-shirt and sneakers. Ahead of him ran another young boy. He appeared to be the same age, with spiky black hair and brown eyes. He wore a red t-shirt, jeans and sneakers. Behind them ran two other children. One was a young girl with long red hair and green eyes. She wore a green skirt and purple shirt. Along with her ran a blond boy, wearing a yellow shirt and olive green shorts.

"Come on, Tony!" the black hair boy shouted, "Wait up!"

"Fine Bruce," Tony said with a smile, coming to a stop outside an old green house, "You don't have to whine."

"I just want to see it," Bruce replied.

"Well, you know, finders keepers," Tony said with a smirk.

"Well you found it at my house," Bruce argued.

Tony rolled his eyes as he sighed and held out his hand. In his palm sat an old, stone arrowhead.

"Wow," the girl said, looking at it.

"Hey, move Kathy!" the blond boy said, "I can't see!"

"Relax, Danny," Kathy replied as she moved over.

"So, what do you think, Bruce?" Tony asked.

"I think finders keepers!" Bruce shouted as he grabbed the arrowhead and took off running.

"Hey!" Tony shouted as he ran after him, "Bruce you jerk!"

Bruce laughed as he ran, with Tony hot on his heels. Danny and Kathy ran after them. Darting around a corner, Bruce leapt up on a boarded up well. As he landed, the boards gave a loud groan before breaking with a loud snap. Bruce let out a cry of surprise as the ground fell out from beneath him and he fell into the darkness below. He landed hard on his back on the dry bed of the well.

"Bruce!" Tony shouted as he stood over the well, looking down with the others.

"Are you alright!" Kathy asked.

"I think I did something to my leg!" he shouted back, cringing with pain, "Go get my dad!"

"Right!" Tony called backed as the three of them ran off.

It was only then that Bruce realized he was alone in a dark cave. He felt he should call out to the others but he figured they were to far away to hear. His heart hammered in his chest as he pushed himself up into a sitting position, hissing in pain as he moved his injured ankle.

Suddenly, he heard a loud shriek. Looking to the side, he saw that the well opened up into a tunnel, only big enough for Bruce to crawl through. Another shriek came from the tunnel, echoing down to Bruce. Suddenly, a loud rustling noise came from the tunnel before a swarm of bats shot out of the opening. Bruce screamed as the bats swarmed around them, holding up his hand to protect his face as the bats buffeted him, flying around the well and out of the opening above him.

Slowly lowering his hands, Bruce looked around, finding himself alone in the cave again. Looking at his arms, he saw that they were covered in small cuts and bites. They weren't bleeding, but they stung badly. Suddenly, another noise from the small cave caught his attention. It was another flapping sound, though it was slower compared to the other bats.

As Bruce watched in horror, a monstrously sized bat appeared, barely big enough to fit through the hole while flying. Everything seemed slow down as he watched the bat approach. Its fur and skin were pitch black, while two burning red eyes stared out from the dark. He could even make out the spittle dripping off its open mouth as it flew. It let out a horrific screech as Bruce let out a cry of terror. Then everything went black.

"Bruce?" he heard a voice say, echoing as if it were far away, "Bruce?"

Slowly, Bruce opened his eyes. Looking above him, he saw his father slowly descending into the well, a harness wrapped around him with a cable leading up and out of the well. His father had black hair like his, with brown eyes. He wore simple grey pants and a green, collared shirt along with hiking boots.

"Bruce can you hear me?" he asked.

"Dad?" Bruce questioned groggily.

"I'm here, Bruce," his father replied, "Are you okay?"

"I hurt my ankle," Bruce answered, indicating towards his ankle, "And there were bats and they attacked me."

"Attacked you?" his father asked.

"Yeah," Bruce answered, holding up his cut arms as evidence.

"I see. Come on, let's get you out of here."

His father slowly reached down and picked Bruce up. Slowly, they were pulled upwards out of the well. Emerging, Bruce saw two men pulling the cable. One was a man in his middle agse, with short graying brown hair and brown eyes. He wore a distinguished looking suit. He also had a small mustache. The other man was dressed in a white, collared shirt and brown pants. He had slicked back, black hair and a pencil thin mustache.

"Master Wayne!" the older man said, "Is he alright?"

"He's got a twisted ankle, and some scraps and bruises, Alfred." Thomas explained as he began to walk towards the mansion, the other's following him.

"Dad?" Tony said, getting the other man's attention, "Is Bruce going to be alright?"

"I'm sure he will, son" Tony's father reassured him.

"Howard," Thomas said, catching the man's attention, "I need you to get some ice for Bruce's ankle. Alfred, I need some antiseptic and bandages for his wounds."

Both men nodded and headed out to get the required items.

"Is there anything we can do, Mr. Wayne?" Danny asked.

"Sure, can you kids go get some water for Bruce to drink?" he asked them. The children nodded and rushed towards the kitchen. At the same time, Thomas carried Bruce to a large sitting room and laid him one of the couches.

"You okay son?" he asked as he lay him down.

"Yeah dad, thanks," Bruce replied, though his heart didn't seem to be in it.

"Are you sure, son?" Thomas asked.

"It's just," Bruce began while looking out one of the large windows, "the bats. They really scared me."

"Well, I'm sure you just scared them as much as they scared you. They weren't out to get you, you just startled them," Thomas explained.

"I'm not so sure," Bruce replied, "I mean most of the bats seemed to be trying to run away, but there was this one big bat. It came out after all the others, and it flew straight at me. I don't think it was scared. I think it wanted me."

Bruce slowly turned back to his father, "It scared me, dad."

Thomas smiled a bit, before he kneeled down next to his son.

"Bruce, do you know why we fall?" he asked.

"No, dad, why?" Bruce asked in reply.

"So we can learn to pick ourselves up again," Thomas said with a smile, placing his hand on Bruce's shoulder. Bruce smiled back, understanding his father's wisdom. At the same time, Alfred walked in, carrying the bandages and antiseptic.

"I have the items you requested, Master Wayne," Alfred stated simply, walking over to him at a brisk pace.

"Thank you, Alfred," Thomas thanked him, taking the items.

"Also, I should warn you, Mrs. Wayne has returned home and I have informed her of the incident," Alfred stated.

"You what?" he asked, a look of fear washing over his face.

"Bruce!" a woman's voice called. A second later, a woman rushed into the room. She wore a white blouse and a black skirt. She had shoulder-length, black hair and green eyes. She quickly rushed over and kneeled next to Bruce.

"Bruce, honey, are you okay?" she asked, concern written across her face.

"I'm fine, Mom," Bruce said, embarrassed by her codling.

"Thomas!" she snapped, rounding on her husband, "How could you let this happen? You know that the grounds are full of dangerous things."

"I'm sorry Martha, I just wanted to let the boy have some fun," Thomas apologized, holding his hands up in defense.

Martha glared at him for a few moments before she turned her eyes back to their son. Her face softened and her anger was again replaced with worry.

"Will he be okay?" she asked.

"Well, his ankle is swollen up pretty bad," Thomas explained, "And we'll probably have to take him in for a tetanus shot just in case one of those bats had rabies."

"Bats!" she shouted with panic, "What bats!"

Thomas' eyes widened in fear again. Looking over his shoulder, he looked to Alfred for help. In returned, the butler looked at him impassively before shrugging. As Martha opened her mouth to give her husband another piece of her mind, Howard entered the room, the three children in tow.

"Now Martha, don't be too hard on Thomas," he said as he walked over to them, handing Thomas an ice pack "falling down and hurting yourself is part of what childhood is all about."

"I don't recall falling down a well when I was a little girl," Martha retorted, crossing her arms and looking away.

As they were talking, Bruce's friends took the opportunity to approach him.

"Hey Bruce, how you doing?" Tony asked.

"We brought you some water," Kathy said as she handed him a glass.

"Thanks," Bruce replied, accepting the glass and taking a sip. "My leg hurts, but other then that, I think I'm okay."

"Oh Tony before I forget," Bruce said before reaching into his pocket and pulling something out, he turned to Tony and handed it to him, "I think this is yours."

Accepting it, Tony saw that it was the arrowhead that Bruce had stolen from him earlier.

"Hey, thanks!" Tony replied excitedly.

"So," Thomas began as he tied the ice pack to Bruce's ankle, "How was your day, sweetie?"

"Fine, fine," Martha said dismissively, before her head shot up as she remembered something, "Oh, I did run into that theater owner. He invited us to the opening of one of their new shows in a few nights."

Thomas smirked as he turned to Bruce.

"Sounds like we're going to have a night on the town, Bruce," he said with a smile.

A/N: All right here we go! First off this actually would have been out Wednesday, but my laptop decided to flip out. Probably getting a new one soon. I do find it weird that I suffered a computer malfunction right before starting a new fic, especially since the same thing happened as I was working on the first chapter for Guardian's Light. If it happens again I guess I'll have to label it under 'spooky'.

Any who, bit of a short chapter this time. I felt my original idea would have been too long, but now it feels too short. Oh well. This story is going to be a long one, easily the longest of Part 2. People were crying for Batman so much and I had so many ideas that I decided this fic would be his origins plus his first two years as Batman, compared to the one year the other fics will take place in. As a timeline, for those who care, the first year will take place before the two "Big Bangs" seen in Part 1, then the second year will take place in the same year as most of the other stories.

As you may have noticed, this chapter was a lot like the opening to Batman Begins. I will be using that storyline as a guide, though don't expect a word for word translation. In addition, the big bat thing is inspired by "The Dark Knight Returns." Those who have read it will know what I'm talking about.

Well I hope you guys like this one! I'm really excited to write this fic and I think you guys will enjoy it as well. Please review! Later True Believers!


	2. Death of a Family

**Chapter 2: Death of a Family**

_Steady your hand _  
_ I am losing sight again _  
_ Fire your guns _  
_ Its time to run_

-"Blow Me Away", Breaking Benjamin_  
_

_August 25__th__, 1994_

Bruce sat on the high-end, elevated train as it flew through the city of Gotham. Looking through the window, he saw the various buildings passing by. Some of the buildings seemed dirty to Bruce and looked like they weren't as well kept at the others. Turning away from the window, he looked at his father and mother sitting with him. His father was dressed in a black tuxedo, while his mother was dressed in a black dress with a white pearl necklace. Bruce himself was dressed in a miniature black tuxedo, looking like a small version of his father.

As the train continued, Thomas turned and looked out the window before tapping Bruce on the shoulder.

"Look at that Bruce," Thomas said, pointing out the window. Bruce looked in the direction his father indicated. Outside the window was a large tower. It had a large W with an S overlaid on it on the building's front, and the track broke off and headed towards the tower, where a station was located.

"There's Wayne-Stark Tower," Thomas explained, "The central hub of the entire city. Not only do all the utilities run through their but so does this new train station we built. We built this train to help the needy people of the city, to make their lives better. You see Bruce, the city has fallen on hard times, and people are struggling to make ends meet. That's why the company has been trying to build things to improve their lives, like this train or the hospital where I work."

"That's pretty cool, Dad," Bruce told his dad with a smile.

"You have to use what you have to help people, Bruce. It's what makes the world a better place," Thomas stated.

Bruce nodded in understanding. Thomas smiled and ruffled his hair, causing Bruce to laugh in happiness.

_Later_

Bruce sat in the darkened theater, staring up at the black clad performers on the stage. They were swinging about on stage from what looked like curtains. The costumes had pointed ears and long capes. They almost looked like…

Bats.

Bruce's eyes widened with fear as his breath caught in his throat. Suddenly he was back in the dried up well. The bats were swarming around them. He would have begun batting at the empty air if his arms hadn't seized up in fear. Looking around wildly, he tried to shake the images, but the sight of the bats swarming him, or the large bat coming at him kept flashing into his vision. Instinctively, he reached out and grabbed his father's arm. Thomas looked down at his son, confusion written across his face.

"What's wrong?" Thomas asked.

"Can we go?" Bruce replied, looking up at his father with fearful eyes.

His father looked at him with a confused and concerned expression.

"Please," Bruce begged.

"Okay," Thomas said, nodding to him. He quickly tapped his wife on the shoulder and signaled her to follow him. They quickly got up and left the theater, apologizing to the other members of the audience as they moved through the aisle. A few minutes later, they walked out of a service entrance into an alley behind the theater.

"Bruce, is everything okay?" Martha asked as she put on her coat.

"Everything's fine," Thomas reassured her, "I just needed some air."

Martha looked like she didn't fully believe him, but she nodded and accepted the explanation.

The family began walking down the dark alleyway together. Martha moved closer to Thomas, wrapping her arms around his and leaning her head on his shoulder. As they walked, Bruce could make out a person standing next to a dumpster. It was a man, about his father's age. He had messy, brown hair and looked like he hadn't shaved in awhile. He also wore a dirty brown long coat over an equally dirty grey shirt and brown pants.

As they approached, he turned away from the dumpster and walked towards him, while he looked around nervously. When he was a few feet away from them, he suddenly stepped in front of them, whipped out a revolver and pointed it at them.

"Give me your money!" he demanded, his gun shaking in his hands.

The three of them froze up in fright and surprise, Martha letting out a gasp of shock. Bruce quickly retreated towards his family, his father putting a protective hand on his shoulder.

"I said give me your money!" the thug ordered again.

"Alright, alright," Thomas said, holding up his hands in a gesture of surrender, "Just relax."

Thomas reached into his pocket and pulled out his wallet, while taking Martha's as well. He slowly handed over both of the wallets to the man. He quickly snatched the wallets from Thomas, holding his gun on them with the other.

"And the pearls," he demanded, "Give me her pearls."

"They were my grandmother's" Martha said, touching them protectively.

"I said give them to me!" the mugger yelled, snatching the necklace, causing it to snap and the pearls to fall to the ground.

"Hey!" Thomas yelled, pushing the mugger away, "Hands off-"

_Bang!_

Thomas' eyes went wide and smoke rose from the barrel of the gun. He let out a strangled cough before stumbling backwards and falling to the ground, holding his stomach. The mugger had a look of surprise on his face and Bruce couldn't tell if he had done it on purpose or by accident. Bruce did know what he did next was on purpose.

"THOMAS!" Martha screamed as she moved towards him. Another gunshot echoed down the alley as the mugger shot again, hitting Martha in the chest. She crumpled to the ground without a sound and didn't move again.

Bruce stood over his parents, a shocked and terrified look on his face. He slowly he looked up at the mugger, who pointed the gun at him. The mugger looked into Bruce's eyes, the gun shaking in his hand, before he quickly turned and ran away.

Bruce watched him leave, before his legs collapsed beneath him and he fell to his knees. He began to cry openly.

"Bruce…" Thomas moaned, grabbing Bruce's arm, "Bruce…don't-don't…don't be afraid."

Then Thomas let out a sigh and Bruce saw the light leave his eyes. It was then that Bruce realized that he was alone. Not just in the alley, but in the world as well. Tears running down his face, Bruce sat in the alley as sirens sounded in the distance.

_Later, Gotham Police Department_

Bruce sat in one of the waiting rooms with a blanket wrapped around him. He sat on a metal chair and solemnly looked out the window into the hall outside. As he watched, he saw a police officer walk by. He wore a standard, dark blue police uniform. He had brown hair and wore glasses over his green eyes. He also had a bushy mustache. As he walked by, he looked into the room and saw Bruce sitting by himself. Looking around, he grabbed another officer who was passing by.

"Hey, why is no one with the kid?" Bruce heard him ask. The other officer shrugged in reply. Bruce heard the first officer let out an exasperated sigh as he pinched the bridge of his nose. Waving the second officer off, the first entered the room.

"Hey," he said gently, giving Bruce a small smile. Bruce didn't reply, opting to instead stare sadly at the floor.

"I'm Officer Jim Gordon," he introduced himself, walking over and kneeling in front of Bruce, "Bruce right?"

Bruce nodded, still looking at the floor.

"How you holding up?" Jim asked, putting a hand on Bruce's knee.

This time Bruce did look up, staring wordlessly into Jim's eyes.

"Sorry, stupid question," Jim apologized, scratching the back of his head in embarrassment.

Bruce looked away again as Jim let out a sigh.

"Look," he began, "I'm not going to pretend I know how you feel right now. I can't bring your parents back, but I can promise you we'll catch the man responsible for all this."

Bruce slowly looked up and into Jim's eyes again. This time, he saw a fierce determination in them that both scared and comforted him.

The sound of someone approaching caught both of their attentions. Looking up, they saw an African-American man standing in the door. He had brown eyes, a bald head and was dressed in a black suit.

"Gordon?" he said with confusion.

"Commissioner," Jim responded, standing up and facing him.

"I see you've been keeping the kid company" he observed.

"I thought it was the proper thing to do," Jim stated.

"Very well," the commissioner replied, "I came in here to tell him that we've caught him. The man who killed his parents."

Jim smiled and turned around to face Bruce.

"See, what did I tell you?" he asked.

Through the darkness of the depression that was consuming him, Bruce felt a faint glimmer of hope begin to shine through.

A/N: Alright, getting into the swing of things again. Getting to write one of the most tragic and iconic moments in comics, was very interesting to do. Hope you guys liked it, not really any big changes from Batman Begins but still important to write. Please Review! Later, True Believers!


	3. The Wake

**Chapter 3: The Wake**

_Our dead are never dead to us, until we have forgotten them._

-George Elliot

_September 1__st__, 1994_

Rain fell steadily over Wayne Manor, the sky turned a melancholy grey. People where gather in the Manor, attending the wake for Thomas and Martha Wayne. In one of the rooms on the upper floors was Bruce Wayne. He sat alone, dressed in a black suit, looking out a large window at the rain coming down.

Grouped together, his friends stood in the doorway behind him, working up the courage to go in. Danny and Tony were dressed in black suits and Kathy wore a simple, black dress. They look at each other, each trying to urge one of the others to speak.

"Hey guys," Bruce suddenly said, causing them all to jump in surprise.

"…Hey Bruce," Tony replied.

"How are you doing?" Danny asked, but he was immediately elbowed by Kathy, "Sorry"

"Come on, Bruce," Kathy urged him, "You can't stay here all day."

"Why not?" Bruce said simply, still not looking at them.

"Bruce, I know you feel bad-" Tony began but stopped when Bruce suddenly whirled around, his face contorted in anger.

"Know how I feel!" he spat, marching over to Tony, "You don't have any idea how I feel! None of you do! You all still have your parents, I don't have anyone!"

"You have us," Danny said quietly.

This seemed to give Bruce pause, as he looked down at his feet with a far away look in his eyes. Tears grew in Kathy's eyes before she jumped forward and wrapped her arms around Bruce, pulling him into a hug. She quietly began sobbing into his shoulder. Bruce was surprised by her sudden action and stood in shock before slowly returning the hug. Danny and Tony walked up and stood on either side of Bruce.

"Don't worry," Tony said, patting Bruce on the shoulder, "We're here for you man."

"Thanks," Bruce answered, tears running down his face.

"Come on," Danny said, nodding towards the door, "Let's head back downstairs."

"Alright," Bruce said with nod, while Kathy pulled herself away, smiling and wiping her eyes.

_Later_

The wake was slowly winding down as the kids sat around talking. As they were talking, one of the adults walked up to them. He was tall and muscular, with bright blond hair and blue eyes. He wore a black suit to match the occasion.

"Hey Dad," Danny said, noticing him as he approached.

"Hey son," he said with a smile, rustling his son's hair, before he turned to Bruce with a sad smile.

"Hello Bruce," he greeted.

"Hello, Mr. Rand," Bruce greeted neutrally.

Mr. Rand kneeled down so he could look Bruce in the eye.

"Bruce, if there is anything you need, you tell me. Me and Heather would be more then happy to help," he said.

"Thanks, Mr. Rand," Bruce said with a small smile.

"Don't worry about it," he replied with a smile of his own.

Suddenly, a large crash caught their attention. Looking up, Bruce saw Tony's father Howard standing near the door to the dining room with another man. The other man was the same age as Howard. He had a bald head and a bushy, brown beard. He had small brown eyes and was wearing a black suit.

"Howard calm down," the man said, holding his hands up in defense.

"Don't tell me to calm down Obadiah!" Howard shouted, pointing his finger accusingly at Obadiah, "What you're suggesting would stomp all over what Thomas wanted for the company."

"I'm just trying to do what is right for the company," Obadiah explained.

"What's right for the company? Bullshit!" Howard shouted.

"Howard, you're drunk," Obadiah pleaded.

"That doesn't change anything!" Howard argued.

Howard stepped forward and threw a drunken punch at Obadiah. Obadiah managed to dodge it, sending Howard stumbling into a table, sending glasses and plates falling to the floor with a crash. The guests gasped in shock as Howard righted himself.

"Howard, please!" Obadiah pleaded, holding his hands up in a sign of nonaggression. Howard growled as he turned around to face Obadiah again. Suddenly, Danny's father was behind Howard, so fast that Bruce hadn't notice him move. He quickly grabbed Howard's arm and twisted it behind his back, putting Howard in an arm lock and pushing him against a wall.

"Let go of me, Wendell!" Howard shouted.

"Once you've calmed down, Howard" Wendell replied.

Howard struggled for a few moments before taking a deep breath and relaxing.

"Alright," Howard said calmly.

"Alright," Wendell replied, before letting Howard go and stepping away. Howard rubbed his arm and adjusted his suit.

"I'll drive you home in my car Howard. Give me your car keys and I'll give them to Maria so she and Tony can drive it home," Wendell suggested.

Howard nodded and handed his keys to Wendell. Wendell put a friendly hand on Howard's shoulder and began leading him towards the door. As they went, Wendell gave the keys to his wife, a blonde woman wearing a black dress.

"I'll be back soon," he said, handing her the keys and giving her a kiss on the cheek, before leading Howard outside.

Bruce watched them go before turning to look at his friends. He saw Tony staring at his lap, clearly embarrassed. Looking around, he saw the rest of the guests whispering amongst themselves and glancing at Tony. Danny seemed to pick up on it as well. He reached over and patted Tony on the shoulder.

"Don't worry about them. Your dad was just mad, and I'm sure mine will take good care of him," Danny said.

"Thanks," Tony replied, smiling at him. Bruce allowed himself a small smile as he watched his friends.

_Later_

Bruce stood at a large window in one of the ground floor, looking out at the gravel driveway. Outside, Kathy was leaving with her parents. Before she got into the car, she turned and looked back at the house. Seeing Bruce, she gave him a small smile before waving at him. Bruce returned the wave half heartedly and she got into the car and drove away.

As Bruce watched, he heard footsteps from behind him. Turning around, he saw Obadiah approaching him. Obadiah walked over to Bruce and smiled down at him, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"Don't worry Bruce," he stated, "The company will be in good hands until your old enough.

Bruce just looked blankly at Obadiah. Obadiah smiled in return and patted him on the shoulder, before turning and leaving. Bruce silently watched him leave, feeling there was something fake about the way he smiled.

"Master Bruce?" Alfred's voice snapped him out of his thoughts. Looking over, he saw Alfred standing in the doorway.

"I prepared a small dinner for you, if you're hungry," Alfred replied, a look of concern on his face.

Looking at him, Bruce felt himself overcome with emotion. He looked down at his feet as tears welled up in his eyes.

"Master Bruce?" Alfred asked, concern clear in his voice.

"It's all my fault Alfred!" Bruce suddenly said, tears streaming down his face as he looked at Alfred, "If I hadn't gotten scared-!"

"Nononono," Alfred said quickly as he rushed over to Bruce, quickly pulling him into a hug.

"It's not your fault Master Bruce," he said with a calming voice, "You didn't kill your parents. That man did. That man killed your parents."

Alfred pulled Bruce away from him and leaned over, looking Bruce in the eye.

"It's not your fault, Master Bruce," he said firmly, "Do you understand?"

Bruce nodded silently, wiping his eyes with his sleeve.

"Very good," Alfred said with a smile, "Now go have your dinner before it gets cold."

Bruce nodded again and walked around Alfred towards the kitchen. Alfred let out a sigh as he left. Turning around, he looked towards the fireplace along with far wall of the room. Specifically, he looked at a large portrait of Thomas and Martha hanging over the fireplace. He slowly walked over to it, letting his normal stoic disposition drop further.

"What am I suppose to do, Master Thomas?" he asked, looking up at the portrait with a worried face, "Where do I go from here?"

He stood in silence for a few moments, almost expecting to get an answer. He sighed and looked away, before his eyes caught something. Walking over to a coffee table, he found a small framed photograph. Looking at it, he saw it was a photo of him and Bruce, with him standing behind Bruce with his hands on his shoulders. Alfred smiled at the photo before putting it down again.

"Very well then," Alfred said with confidence, straightening his suit before turning and heading towards the dinning room.

A/N: Well, this just keeps rolling along. This was an interesting chapter to write and I hope you guys like the changes I made to the story. Things will hopefully be moving forward quicker from here on out. Please review! Later True Believers!


	4. Justice and Revenge

**Chapter 4: Justice and Revenge**

_He that studieth revenge keepeth his own wounds green, which otherwise would heal and do well._

-John Milton

_October 13th, 2004_

Bruce sat alone in his room, looking at his reflection in a nearby mirror. He was now eighteen years old. He had grown to roughly six feet tall and his baby fat had fallen away, leaving a handsome face. His brown hair sat flat on his head, the bangs dripping close to his brown eyes. He wore a long brown coat, over a pair of brown pants, a black vest, white shirt and brown shoes. Looking away, he saw the trunk that he had brought back with him from college, his clothes still freshly packed inside.

Looking at his clock, he checked the time and let out a sigh. He slowly stood up and touched his pocket, checking to make sure the object inside was still there. Feeling it, he turned and left his room, heading down the hall to the stairs.

As he walked, he saw Alfred coming towards him. Alfred had aged as well. His hair had begun to grey and a few wrinkles were appearing on his face. He still walked with the same professional air as ever as he marched up to Bruce.

"Good day, Master Bruce," he greeted.

"Hello, Alfred," Bruce replied a little half-heatedly.

"Will you be heading back to Princeton after the hearing, sir, or can I persuade you to stay on for a day or two?" he asked, following Bruce as he began to head down the stairs.

"I'm not heading back at all," Bruce said simply.

"You don't like it there?" Alfred asked.

"I like it fine, they just don't feel the same way," Bruce replied with a chuckle, letting the weight of his words sink in.

"I'll prepare the master bedroom," Alfred stated.

"My room will be fine," Bruce argued.

"With all due respect, sir, Wayne Manor is your house," Alfred pushed.

"No Alfred, this is my father's house," Bruce corrected.

"Your father is dead," Alfred said, a hint of anger in his voice.

"This place is a mausoleum. If I had my way I'd pull the damned thing down brick by brick," Bruce argued.

"This house, Master Wayne, has sheltered six generations of your family," Alfred argued back as he stopped on the stairs.

"It's not your family Alfred, why do you give a damn?" Bruce snapped.

"I give a damn," Alfred bristled, "because a good man once made me responsible for the most precious thing to him in the whole world."

"Ms. Kane and Mr. Stark have offered to bring you to the hearing," Alfred informed him as he continued down the stairs, "They probably hope to talk you out of going."

"Should I just bury my past with my parents, Alfred?" Bruce asked.

"I wouldn't presume to tell you what to do with your past, sir," Alfred answered, "Just know that there are some of us who care about what you do with your future."

"You haven't given up on me yet," Bruce observed solemnly.

"Never," Alfred replied with a smirk, "They're waiting for you in the kitchen."

Alfred turned and walked away, while Bruce headed towards the kitchen.

Bruce walked into the kitchen, finding Tony and Kathy chatting with each other. They both had grown as well. Tony had also become a handsome young man, his brown hair kept short and slightly curled at the front. He wore a brown sports jacket over a white button up shirt, brown pants and dress shoes.

Kathy had also developed into a beautiful young woman. She still had long, blood red hair, which hung down to the small of her back. She wore a black long coat, over a white blouse, black skirt and black, high heeled shoes.

"Hey Bruce," Tony greeted him with a smile, "How's college?"

Bruce shrugged, deciding not to tell him the truth, "Can't complain. It's not like we could compare experiences. Weren't you fifteen when you went?"

"Fourteen, Bruce. Fourteen," Tony corrected with a smile.

"So how is your new job at the company?" Bruce asked.

"It's going pretty good," Tony replied, "You know, once you're done with college, we can probably find you a job."

"Thanks Tony, but I'm not really sure that's where I'm headed," Bruce explained.

"Alright, well keep it in the back of your mind," Tony suggested.

Bruce nodded in reply.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Kathy asked, worry in her voice.

"Someone has to be at this proceeding has to stand for my parents," Bruce answered coldly.

Tony nodded and patted Bruce on the shoulder.

"We've got your back, Bruce," Tony assured him.

"I wish Danny was here," Kathy mused.

"We all do," Tony answered.

"I can't believe it's been eight years since he disappeared," Kathy said with a sigh.

"Well no use in dwelling on it," Tony stated, patting Bruce on the shoulder, "I think today's going to be a sad enough day already."

"Yeah," Bruce agreed, touching the object in his pocket again, "I think so too."

_Later_

The group had driven to the courthouse in Kathy's car. Currently, they were sitting in one of the courtrooms, listening to the probation hearing for Joe Chill.

"Now that we've heard the prosecutor's and the defense's side, I'd like to hear from Mr. Chill," the judge said.

In response, a man stood up. Even though he was looking at him from behind, Bruce immediately recognized him as the man who killed his parents. He was a decade older now, and it showed. Though his hair was shorter and his beard was shaved, he looked haggard from his years in prison.

"Your Honor," he began, "Not a day goes by that I don't regret what I did. I would do anything to take it back. I would be eternally grateful if this court saw fit to take mercy on me."

"Very well," the judge replied, "Now it's my understanding that a member of the Wayne family is present here today."

A hush fell over the courtroom as Chill stood stock still, his eyes going wide with fright. Bruce tensed up as well.

"Would that person care to speak?" the judge asked.

Bruce slowly stood up, the court room whispering as he did. Bruce stood there for a moment, looking like he was about to say something, before he quickly turned and left, not saying a word.

Bruce rushed out of the courtroom, his breathing fast as he panicked. A second later, Kathy and Tony came out.

"Bruce are you okay?" Kathy asked, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"I just…I just…" he mumbled.

"It's okay Bruce, we understand" Tony reassured him.

A moment later, people began filing out of the courtroom.

"Looks like the hearing is done," Tony observed.

"What do you think the judge decided?" Kathy asked.

"Nothing yet, they'll bring Chill back tomorrow while the judge deliberates," Tony explained.

Bruce was barely paying attention to what they were saying. Instead, he was utterly focused on the people coming out of the door. Silently, he watched the door, waiting while he palmed the object in his pocket. Then he saw him. Chill walked out in handcuffs, a guard on each side on him.

Everything seemed to slow down as Bruce watched him approach. Slowly Chill turned to look at him, his eyes widening as they met Bruce's hate filled ones. This was it. Bruce grabbed the object and moved to pull it out.

Suddenly, he felt someone's hand on his wrist, stopping him. Chill walked by, glancing over his shoulder at Bruce before disappearing around a corner. Looking down, Bruce saw that Kathy had grabbed his arm.

"Bruce, what are you doing?" she whispered, looking at his pocket, "What's in your pocket?"

Bruce looked at her with surprise and a hint of fear. He quickly pulled away and ducked behind a corner into a less crowded hallway, Tony and Kathy following him.

"Bruce what it is?" Kathy asked again.

Bruce looked around before pulling out the object in his pocket. A revolver. Tony and Kathy stared at the gun in astonishment before looking at Bruce as he put it away.

"Jesus, Bruce, what were you thinking!" Tony whispered harshly.

Bruce didn't say anything as he turned to look at Kathy. She was glaring at him with a look that was a mixture of anger and disappointment. Before Bruce could say anything, she reached out and slapped him across the face, the loud smack echoing down the hallway. Bruce slowly turned back to face her and she quickly slapped him again. Tony stood to the side, watching the events with a helpless look on his face.

"How could you?" Kathy hissed.

"My parents deserve justice, Kathy," Bruce whispered back, rubbing his cheek.

"This isn't justice, this is revenge!" Kathy argued.

"What's the difference?" Bruce practically snarled.

"Justice is about harmony. Revenge is about you making yourself feel better," Kathy explained.

"Yeah, and it would make me feel better to see that bastard die," Bruce growled, "Everyone keeps telling me to trust the system, but the system is corrupt and broken. No one gets justice from it."

Kathy glared at him before grabbing Bruce's his hand and started walking down the hall, dragging Bruce behind him.

"Stay here, Tony!" Kathy shouted.

"Yeah sure, I'll just get a taxi," Tony replied sarcastically, throwing his hands up in the air, "Don't kill him!"

Tony looked around helplessly, before following her. They marched out of the courthouse and down to Kathy's car, where she forced Bruce into it. Kathy quickly turned the car on before taking off down the street. After a few blocks, she turned down an alleyway and entered the dockyard of the city.

"You care about justice?" she asked as they drove down a dark street, "Look beyond your own pain, Bruce. This city is rotting. They talk about the depression as if its history, but it's not. Things are worse than ever down here. The Kingpin and his gangs flood our streets with crime and drugs, preying on the desperate, creating new Joe Chills every day. The Kingpin may have not killed your parents Bruce, but he's destroying everything they stood for."

They continued driving for a few minutes, leaving the slum behind them. They eventually pulled up in front of a high-end restaurant with guards noticeably positioned outside.

"You want to talk to him about justice, here you go," she said, nodding to the restaurant, "Everyone knows where to find him. He doesn't hide in the shadows. He's in there right now throwing a fundraiser, or at least that's what he calls it. As long as he keeps the bad people rich and the good people scared no one can touch him. Good people like your parents who would stand against injustice. They're gone. What chance does Gotham have when the good people do nothing? Or do the wrong thing."

Bruce turned to her, and found her green eyes glaring at him.

"Your father would be ashamed of you, Bruce," she spat. Bruce glared at her before unbuckling his seat belt and getting out. Kathy watched him go for a few moments, before sighing and driving away.

Bruce walked for a bit, before he reached one of the canals that ran through the city into the harbor. Stopping at the edge, he looked down into the murky water, just able to make out his reflection in the dying light. Reaching into his pocket, he retrieved the revolver he had brought with him. Looking at it, he suddenly flashed back to the moment his parents were killed, with Chill pointing a similar revolver at them. A look of horror and sorrow crossed his face before he chucked the gun into the river, the ripples distorting his reflection. Taking a few calming breathes he turned and walked back the way he came, before marching up to the door of the restaurant.

"Who are you?" one of the guards asked as he approached.

"Bruce Wayne," Bruce answered truthfully, "I'm here to see-"

"We know who you're here to see, Mr. Wayne," the other guard replied with a smirk, "Go on in."

Bruce made his way into the restaurant. It was a large restaurant with an open area in the people were mingling. Booths and tables were also set up around the restaurant and almost all of them were filled with people eating and chatting. Looking in the back, he saw a large group of people gathered. At the center of them was a very large man. He stood easily seven and a half feet tall and must have weighde a considerable amount. He had a bald head and brown eyes. He wore a white suit jacket over a purple shirt and black pants.

Next to him sat an older man. He was shorter than the man at the center, and had a slightly pudgy build. He had grey hair and brown eyes and wore a white jacket over a brown shirt and pants. Next to him sat a younger man, though he still appeared to be middle aged. He had salt and pepper hair and brown eyes. He wore a dark grey jacket over a white shirt and dark grey pants.

On the large man's other side was also in his middle ages, with black hair that was grey at the temple. He had green eyes, and a thin moustache. He wore a black jacket over a white shirt and black pants. The man next to him appeared much older, with pure white hair and grey eyes. He wore a light grey shirt over a white shirt and light grey pants.

Bruce quickly approached where they were sitting. As he did, a man, obviously a guard, stood up from his chair and slammed his arm into Bruce's chest, forcing him to stop. The man stood six and a half feet tall and was brimming with muscles. He had a short brown mop of hair and beady brown eyes. He wore a black turtleneck, brown pants, dark brown shoes and black leather gloves. The guard quickly began to pat Bruce down for weapons while the large man looked up from his meal.

"Bruce Wayne?" he asked, "I don't believe we've ever had the pleasure. I'm Wilson Fisk."

"The Kingpin of Crime," Bruce added.

"Allegedly," the man in the dark grey jacket said with a slimy grin.

"You're taller than you look in the tabloids, Mr. Wayne," the man in the white jacket commented.

The guard finished patting Bruce down, signaling he had no weapon.

"No gun?" the man in the white jacket asked, "I'm insulted."

"Have a seat," Fisk asked, signaling for one of his guards to place a seat on the other side of the table. Bruce hesitantly took the seat, never taking his eyes off of Fisk.

"Let me introduce my associates," Wilson said, before indicating towards his left.

"This is Mr. Carmine Falcone," Fisk introduced the man in the white coat, before indicating to the man in the dark grey coat, "And this is Mr. Sal Maroni."

"Over on my right is Count Luchino Nefaria," he continued, indicating towards the man in the black coat, before indicating to the one in the light grey coat, "And this is Mr. Silvio "Silvermane" Manfredi."

"It's an honor, Mr. Wayne" the Count said with an Italian accent. Silvermane merely nodded to him.

"So what brings you here, Mr. Wayne?" Fisk asked.

"I came here to show you that not everyone in Gotham is afraid of you," Bruce answered.

"Only those who know me," Fisk replied with a chuckle, as he continued to eat his meal, "I hope you don't mind if i continue eating while we talk. I wouldn't want to spoil such a wonderfully prepared meal."

Bruce only glared at him in response.

"Good," Fisk said with a smirk, unflinching under Bruce's glare before he continued eating.

"I know why you're really here Mr. Wayne." He said through mouthfuls. "You're not trying to prove to me that you aren't afraid. You're trying to prove it to yourself. You think that if you stand up to an alleged criminal like myself, it will prove you're not the spineless little boy who let his parents die."

Bruce's anger changed to shock at Fisk's words.

"I couldn't possibly have saved them," Bruce whispered, more to himself then to Fisk.

The Kingpin shook his head and put down his knife and fork.

"That's the lies you tell yourself at night to make yourself feel better, but we both know it's not true. When I was the age you lost your parents at, I was already holding my own against the local unsavory. Anybody who pointed a gun at me would soon learn they had made a terrible mistake. You were weak Bruce."

Bruce's face contorted rage and he lunged at the Kingpin. The guard grabbed the back of Bruce's shirt and slammed him into the table. A few of the party's guests looked over , but quickly looked away again.

"Look around you." The Kingpin gestured to the crowd. "They know why you're here too. I count four judges, twelve councilmen, a few people from the mayor's office, a union official."

He reached out and grabbed Bruce by the hair, pulling his head up and forcing him to look at him.

"Do you think any of them would actually try to stop me from killing you here and now? They respect me, Mr. Wayne, they fear me, because I am strong. Something that you will never be."

He gestured to Carmine, who produced an envelope and handed it to the Kingpin.

"I will give you some advice though," Fisk stated

"I don't need any advice from you," Bruce growled.

The Kingpin removed the contents of the envelope and laid five pictures on the table.

"Are you sure?"

Bruce looked at the pictures. As he did a chill went down his spine. They were pictures of Kathy, Tony and even Alfred going about their days.

"Take a look at those pictures again." The Kingpin growled, "Note the time they were taken. You try to tell yourself that you aren't afraid of me; that you aren't afraid to die. But what about your friends? Tony Stark, Kathy Kane, even your butler Alfred. I could get to them easily."

"If you touch them –"

"Relax Mr. Wayne, I'm just making a point," The Kingpin said, "You came here looking for a fight. That was a mistake. You're the prince of Gotham; you'd have to go a hundred miles to find somebody who didn't know your name. You don't understand this world. You don't understand what drives me, where I get my strength."

"This is the difference between you and me. When your parents died, you used your money to hide away from the harsh reality of the world. I had nothing but myself, so I embraced it and grew strong."

"Join me Bruce," he suggested, holding out one of his large hands, "I can give you the strength you need. No punk with a gun could touch you, or your loved ones. Wayne-Stark Industries would flourish into something your parents could have only dreamed of. You could even be the Mayor if you wanted; you could make Gotham shine again."

Bruce glared at the large hand, then at the man behind it. He spat right in the middle of Fisk's plate, the spit flowing slowly across the Kingpin's food.

The Kingpin's eyes narrowed in anger. Bruce got the impression that he would have been less angry if he'd spat right in his face than in his food.

"You could have just said no, Mr. Wayne," Fisk said with controlled fury, "Ox, you and Harrison take Mr. Wayne out back and teach him some manners

The thug holding him pulled Bruce to his feet before wrapping his arm around his neck. As Bruce struggled to get free, another thug walked up. He stood as tall as the other thug and was just as muscular. He had a bald head and blue eyes, with a scar running down the side of his face. He wore a black leather jacket over a white t-shirt along with brown cargo pants and black boots. His hands were covered in white wrappings.

They quickly dragged Bruce towards the kitchen. As Bruce struggled, he looked around for help, but saw that everyone at the event was ignoring him. Harrison punched Bruce hard in the stomach, knocking the wind out of him and forcing Bruce to stop struggling. Moments later, Ox tossed him out of a backdoor into an alley. Bruce rolled to a stop with a groan, trying to push himself back to his feet. As he did, Ox walked up and kicked him in the stomach, causing Bruce to fall down again. Harrison then grabbed Bruce's hair and hauled him to his feet again. He pushed Bruce backwards, where Ox grabbed his arms and held him up. Harrison stepped in front of him and cracked his knuckles, before punching Bruce in the face. As Ox held him, Harrison punched him in the stomach, then the ribs, then the face again before Ox dropped him to the ground. Ox stood over Bruce and raised his foot to smash Bruce's face into the pavement, before Harrison stopped him.

"That's enough, Ox," Harrison said in a gruff voice, "We messed up his pretty face enough already. He won't go crossin' the boss again. No need to go murder the Prince o' Gotham outsides the bosses favorite joint."

"It's not like anyone could put us or the boss away," Ox replied with a deep, booming voice.

"True, but we still don't need the attention," Harrison explained, before looping his arm around Ox's shoulder, "Now come on, I'll buy ya one of them fancy beers they got here."

The two thugs made their way back into the building laughing as they did so. Bruce moaned as he picked himself up off the ground and wiped his mouth.

"Ya shoulda tipped better!" a voice called out with a hoarse laugh. Looking in the direction of the voice, Bruce saw a homeless man huddled near a fire burning in an oil drum. He had dirty brown hair and a wild beard to match. He wore a ragged brown coat over equally ragged shirt and pants.

Bruce walked over to the oil drum, slowly taking off his scarf as an idea formed in his head. Reaching the drum, he tossed it into the fire, earning a confused look from the homeless man. He then pulled out his wallet and emptied it before tossing it in as well. He then handed the money to the homeless man.

"For what?" the man asked.

"The jacket," Bruce answered, pointing at the coat.

The man slowly took off his jacket as Bruce did the same. Bruce took the man's jacket as he handed him his money before he prepared to throw his jacket into the fire.

"Hey, hey!" the homeless man said, grabbing the coat, "Let me have that. It's a nice coat."

"Be careful no one sees you with it," Bruce informed him as he but on the dirty coat, "They're going to come looking for me."

"Who?" the homeless man asked.

"Everyone," Bruce replied simply, before walking away.

The man watched Bruce walk away, before shrugging.

"It's a nice coat," the man commented as he observed the gift he was lucky enough to get.

Bruce slowly walked along the edge of the canal. Before he knew it, he found himself at the docks, standing along the waterside. Looking over, he saw a cargo ship loading up on a nearby dock. Taking a deep breath to calm his nerves, he quickly turned and ran to the boat.

Bruce managed to sneak aboard the boat with little trouble and quickly hid himself in one of the out of the way rooms. Looking out of a porthole, he saw that a storm had fallen across the city. Slowly, the boat began to pull away and Bruce watched as the city slowly disappeared into the distance.

"I will return," he said firmly, "And when I do, I will be prepared. I will train, for as long as it takes, until I'm prepared. Then I'll come back and rid the city of the crime and corruption that infects it. I won't rest until I do. And when I'm done, no one, rich or poor, will have to suffer at the hands of the criminals who control Gotham. No one will know tragedy at their hands. And no one will have to be afraid anymore."

Bruce glared out the porthole at the fading city as the storm came down hard outside.

"I will do this," he growled, "I swear it."

Lighting lit the night sky as the thunder crackled, as if the heavens themselves were acknowledging his oath.

A/N: This was a fun one to write. Obviously, some parts were taken directly from the movie, but I hope you guy liked the parts I changed for the story itself. Next, we finally get into Bruce training to become the legendary Dark Knight! Until then, please review! Later True Believers!


	5. From the Shadows

**Chapter 5: From ****the**** Shadows**

_A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty._

-Winston Churchill

_March 17__th __2009, somewhere in China_

Near the snowy mountains of Tibet, a small prison sat in a valley. The prison was a squat, rough building made of dark colored stone. A small courtyard sat within the prison. Its ground was a muddy mess from melted snow. Steel walkways circled the courtyard. Prisoners lined up on one of the walkways, leading to an opening where ill prepared food waited for them.

The prisoners were dressed in simple blue pants and shirts. They were all male members of the various ethnic groups of China, with ages ranging from young to old. One person stood out however. In the line stood a Caucasian man somewhere in his twenties. His hair was dark brown, almost black, and was long and shaggy. He also had a bushy brown beard.

As he stood in line for his food, Bruce felt someone come up behind him. Quickly glancing over his shoulder, he saw a burly prisoner behind him. Looking forward again, another large prisoner stepped in front of him. Looking up, he saw the man had a bald head and a thin mustache and goatee, along with a scar running along his chin. Bruce noticed a few other men gathering around him.

"Do we really have to do this?" Bruce asked with a tired sigh.

"Yes," the man in front of him said with a thick accent. His fist suddenly shot out, striking Bruce in the stomach, causing Bruce to double over.

"You don't understand yet do you?" the man asked, as he punched Bruce in the jaw, "You're in hell and I am the devil."

He pulled his arm back and threw another punch at Bruce. This time however, Bruce reached up and caught the fist, easily holding it in place.

"You're not the devil," Bruce said as he wiped his mouth, "You're practice."

He sprung to his feet, punching the other man in the face, sending him stumbling backwards into the men behind him. Bruce felt the man behind him grab his shoulder. Reacting with lightning reflexes, Bruce grabbed the man's hand with his own before twisting it. The man let out a cry of pain, which was cut short as Bruce kicked him in the solar plexus, sending him falling back into the crowd behind him.

Another thug threw a punch from behind Bruce, but he ducked it. Standing up, he quickly grabbed the man's extended arm and shoulder, locking them in place. Stepping forward, he slammed the man's head against the kitchen counter, before shoving him back against the railing. Grabbing a pot from the counter, he turned around and slammed the burning metal against the man's head. The man cried in pain as the force of the blow sent him flipping over the railing, where he fell into the mud of the courtyard below with a thud.

Another man tried to grab his arms from behind. Reacting quickly, Bruce flipped the pot behind him, sending the scalding water into the man's face. He let out a cry of pain and let go of Bruce, allowing him to roundhouse kick the criminal in the face, and send him flipping over the railing as well.

The man who started the fight managed to pick himself up and he ran over to Bruce, wrapping his arms around Bruce's arms and torso and lifting him into the air. As Bruce squirmed in the prisoner's grip, another rushed at him to attack. Bruce quickly swept one of his legs out, striking the man across the chin with his foot. While the man was stunned by the blow, Bruce swept his leg back, hitting him in the chin again. He then quickly brought up both legs and kicked the man in the chest, sending him stumbling backwards and causing the man holding him to fall to the ground and let Bruce go.

Bruce quickly got to his feet and prepared for the next attack. Two men rushed him from behind, grabbing his shoulders and forcing him against the kitchen counter. Bruce pushed back against the two men, knocking them off balance for a moment. They recovered quickly and pushed Bruce forward again, but now Bruce had enough time to jump up and put his feet against the counter. Pushing hard off the counter, Bruce sent himself and his two assailants flying back against the metal railing, which snapped with a loud crash and sent them falling to the muddy ground below.

Bruce quickly rolled to his feet as his attackers lay on the ground groaning. Looking around, Bruce saw more members of their gang coming to attack him. Looking down, he saw a piece of the railing that had been knocked loose lying at his feet. He quickly glanced up to see one of the prisoners charging straight at him. Bruce slid his foot beneath the metal bar, before kicking it up. The bar flew through the air and hit the prisoner in the chest, knocking him back. As the man stumbled back, Bruce snagged the bar out of the air, before spinning around and smacking another criminal on the side of the head with it, sending him tumbling into the mud.

Spinning the bar, Bruce turned to his next opponent. The man threw a punch at Bruce, which he dodged before hitting the man on the back of his knee with the bar, forcing him into a kneeling position. Bruce then delivered a blow to the man's stomach, causing him to crouch over hitting him on the back of the head with the bar, sending him face down into the mud.

Two criminals charged Bruce, approaching him from both sides. Bruce swung at one, but the man caught the bar, holding onto it. He threw a high kick at Bruce, but he dodged it. Bruce then quickly dodged a punch from the other criminal. He retaliated with a swing from the other end of the bar, but this was blocked as well. Both criminals threw a series of kicks at Bruce, who managed to block and dodged them. Bruce quickly fell to his knees and struck out with both hands, hitting both men between their legs. As they bent over in pain, Bruce hopped to his feet before leaping into the air and taking both criminals out with a split kick.

As another criminal charged him, Bruce quickly picked up the bar again before tossing it to him. The criminal caught it out of impulse, allowing Bruce to run up and drop kick him with both feet. The blow sent the man flying back as Bruce landed on all fours in the mud.

Yet another criminal rushed at Bruce. This one tried to kick him in the head, but Bruce moved out of the way before sweeping the man's leg out from under him. As the man tried to recover, Bruce rolled onto him, and took one of his legs in his arms. Giving a sharp twist, the man's ankle broke with an audible crack. The criminal's screams of pain filled the courtyard as more approached to face Bruce.

_Meanwhile_

The warden of the prison walked down the hallway. He was a short man, with short black hair and small glasses over his brown eyes. He wore a pristine army uniform as he walked down the hall with a rigid posture. Behind him walked three people.

Directly behind him was a man. He was a regal man, apparently middle aged but with a strong physique. He had olive skin with a few wrinkles on his skin. His hair was swept back and was a mixture of black, grey and white. He also possessed green eyes. He wore a green and black robe and black shoes. A small grey goatee grew from his chin.

To his right stood a young woman, somewhere in her twenties. She had olive skin and similar green eyes, along with long, brown hair that reached to the small of her back. She stood a head shorter than the man, and possessed a slim, athletic physique. She wore a brown leather, fur-lined jacket over a black tank top. She also wore a pair of tight, black leather pants, along with black leather gloves and black, high-heeled boots.

On his left walked a mountain of a man. He stood almost seven feet tall, and was brimming with muscles. His skin was darkly tan and his head was bald. He had beady, dark eyes and a small, golden hoop earring in each ear. He wore a black, finely crafted, muscle shirt, apparently impervious to the cold. He also wore a pair of loose fitting black pants with a red sash wrapped around his waist and black shoes.

"The man you are looking for should be out in the courtyard," the warden said in Chinese as he led them down the hall. As they walked, the sound of shouting echoed down the hallway. The warden looked up with surprise and fear before rushing down the hallway. The three visitors watched him go before calmly continuing down the hall. They eventually reached the end and entered the courtyard.

They stood on a walkway above the courtyard. The warden stood in front of them, leaning against the railing, looking around wildly as he shouted orders to the guards. Down in the courtyard, a full scale riot had erupted. Prisoners were fighting with each other, as well as overwhelming the guards who were trying to regain control of the situation. At the center of the mob, like the eye of a hurricane, stood Bruce, fighting off prisoners from every side.

"Is that the man you seek, master?" the large man asked.

"Indeed, he is," the shorter man answered.

"So this is Bruce Wayne?" the woman said as she looked at him, leaning her elbows on the railing as she watched him fight, "I was expecting someone more…impressive."

"Looks can be deceiving, Talia," the shorter man said with a smirk.

"Should we watch to see if he survives the fight in order to test him?" the larger man asked, crossing his powerful arms across his barrel chest.

"No Ubu. Even the greatest warrior can be felled by overwhelming odds. Assist him," the man ordered.

At his command, Talia and Ubu vaulted over the railing of the walkway and landed in the muddy courtyard. They were almost immediately were set upon by some of the rioting criminals.

Talia easily dodged a haymaker thrown at her by one of the prisoners. She quickly grabbed her attacker's arm and locked it in place. Then with her free hand, she punched the man's elbow, breaking it. He let out a howl of pain, but was quickly silenced when Talia chopped him in the next, sending him chocking to the ground.

Glancing over her shoulder, Talia saw another prisoner coming up behind her. Acting quickly, Talia kicked behind her, catching the man between the legs. He fell to his knees in pain, allowing Talia to whirl around and perform a round house kick to his face. His jaw snapped with a sickening crack and he fell to the ground in a heap.

Meanwhile, Ubu was in a fist fight with another of the criminals, one which he was easily dominating. He dodged a punch from the criminal before he reached out and grabbed the man's face before driving him into the ground. The man slowly tried to pick himself up, but Ubu slammed his fist into his face, slamming him further into the mud and knocking him up.

Another criminal charged at him with a makeshift knife. Ubu turned to face him, crouching low as he approached. When the criminal was close enough, Ubu grabbed him by the waist and threw him into the air. A second later, he landed in the mud a few feet behind Ubu with a loud thud.

Bruce was completely surrounded, but he continued fighting. The battle had grown into a full scale riot but he didn't noticed, only focusing on fighting for survival. He was growing tired but he knew he couldn't give up. He noticed a criminal coming up behind him, but he reacted a second too late. The man came at him with a shiv, thrusting it forward towards Bruce's ribs. However, right before the knife hit him, a hand reached out and grabbed it, stopping the shiv.

Bruce glanced over, seeing a woman roughly his own age standing next to him, holding the criminal's arm. She glanced and smirked at him, before she kicked the criminal in the head, sending him face down in the mud. Still holding him, she stood on his shoulder before jerking it to the side, snapping his arm.

Bruce turned around as another man attacked him. He blocked the man's punch before kicking him in the ribs. As the man stumbled back, Bruce rushed him and punched him in the gut, before grabbing his head and kneeing him in the face. The man's head snapped back and Bruce charged him, clotheslining him and knocking him to the ground.

Looking up, he saw a large man burst through the crowd of criminals, swatting them aside like flies. Bruce saw another criminal approaching him and turned to face him. Before he could attack though, the large man threw another criminal into him, sending both falling to the ground.

Bruce faced one part of the group of criminals that surrounded him as his two unexpected allies took up positions on his other sides, covering his back. The group of prisoners looked hesitant to attack, but Bruce knew it was only a few moments before they would attack en masse. Just as it looked like they were going to charge, shots rang out.

Everyone turned towards the source of the noise, seeing the older man standing a few feet away, holding one of the unconscious guard's assault rifles in the air. Slowly, he turned the gun towards the group.

"Now, I know that you all know that I can't shoot you all. But I can shoot some of you. So who wants to try their luck?" he asked.

The criminals slowly looked at each other before backing away from Bruce and the others. As they did, the guards burst into the courtyard, shouting orders and pointing their guns.

"Excellent timing, gentlemen!" the man cried as the guards stormed past him. As they did, he lowered his weapon before examining it.

"Barbaric," he spat before tossing it away and walking towards the crowd. As he did, he saw the guards trying to take Bruce, despite Ubu and Talia's protests. He quickly cried out to them in Mandarin and waved them away. The guards paused and looked at him for a moment, before moving away.

"Mr. Wayne," he greeted as he approached, "Good to finally meet you."

Bruce looked up at him with shock.

"How do you know my name?" he asked.

"I know much about you," the man replied with a chuckle, before turning and walking away, beckoning Bruce to follow him, "Come with me, Mr. Wayne, we have much to discuss."

Talia and Ubu followed him, but Bruce hesitated for a moment. He quickly looked around and saw the prisoners looking angrily at him and the guards eyeing him with suspicion. Letting out a sigh, he turned and followed the man and his associates. They made their way through the halls of the prison before they led him into an empty office room. The older man sat in the chair behind the desk, while Talia sat on it, crossing her legs. Ubu stood to the side, crossing his powerful arms. Bruce walked into the room and sat in a chair on the other side of the desk.

"Let's begin shall we?" the man asked, raising an eyebrow, "First allow me to introduce me and my associates. I am Ra's al Ghul. This man is my servant, Ubu."

Ubu nodded to Bruce as he was introduced.

"And this lovely young woman is my daughter, Talia," he continued, gesturing to Talia.

"Pleased to meet you, Mr. Wayne," she greeted him with a small smile.

"It's good to meet you all as well," Bruce said in return, "But why did you come to find me?"

"I've been studying you for some time now Mr. Wayne. During your time in Europe studying the ways of criminology, escapology, psychology, tracking and a number of the physical sciences. Or your time in Asia, learning the various martial arts and meditation techniques. And then your time in Hong Kong, where you worked as a thief and hired muscle in some misguided attempt to understand the criminal mind. And that is what led you here."

"You didn't answer my question," Bruce observed.

"I came to find you Mr. Wayne, because I want to invite you into my organization," Ra's explained.

"What organization is that?" Bruce asked.

"We call ourselves the League of Shadows. Our goal is to rid the world of the crime and corruption that pollutes it. A goal I'm sure you share," Ra's elaborated.

Bruce looked at his hands in his laps, clearly thinking it over.

"I can teach you even more then you already know," Ra's pressed, leaning against his desk, "I can teach you how to take down these criminals who prey on the weak. What do you say?"

Bruce clenched his hands before looking up at Ra's, determination burning in his eyes.

"Alright, what do you need me to do?" Bruce asked.

"You will be released in a few hours and a man will take you to the base of a mountain. Once there, pick one of the blue flowers at the mountain's base and climb up the mountain with it. You will find my home there," Ra's instructed him.

"This sounds like a test," Bruce observed.

"I'm giving you the chance to join us," Ra's stated as he stood, "You have to show me you deserve it."

He turned and walked towards the door, Ubu and Talia following him.

"I do hope to see you again, Mr. Wayne," Ra's said before departing.

"Good luck," Talia said, smirking as she looked over her shoulder at Bruce before continuing on her way. Ubu followed her before pausing in the doorway, looking back at Bruce with a grimace.

"You're going to need it," Ubu stated, before turning and leaving, closing the door behind him.

Bruce leaned back in his chair and ran his hand through his hair, wondering what awaited him.

A/N: Hey, I got to write a fight scene! If you didn't notice, I enjoyed it, it's easily my favorite thing to write in these fics and it was good to finally get to do a full out one. Anyway, hope you guys liked this chapter, tried to make it obvious that Bruce has had some extensive training even before meeting with Ra's. Hope you guys liked it! Please Review! Also guess who got DC Universe Online! Later True Believers!


	6. Blue Flowers

**Chapter 6: Blue Flowers**

_Strength and growth come only through continuous effort and struggle._

_-_Napoleon Hill_  
_

_March 19__th__, 2009_

Bruce woke with a start as his ride stopped. Looking around, he saw that he still sat in the back of an old pick-up truck, the same one he had gotten into the day before after his release from the prison. He had fallen asleep sometime during the night, as the truck had traveled down the muddy back roads.

Bruce stretched his limbs and rubbed his eyes, yawning with drowsiness. Turning, he looked through a small window into the cabin of the truck. The driver looked back at him before nodding to the side. Looking over, Bruce saw that they were now at the base of a large mountain. Clouds swirled around its snow-capped top, giving it an ominous look.

Bruce realized that this was where he got off, so he grabbed the small bag that contained his possessions and hopped off the truck. The driver started up his car and drove off without another word. Hoisting his bag onto his shoulder and started towards the mountain.

As he did, he noticed something beyond the ridge he was approaching. When he reached it, he saw that at the base of the mountain was a large field of blue flowers. The ground around them was covered in a light lair of snow and they slowly waved in the breeze that blew around the mountain. Bruce slowly walked down the ridge and picked one of the flowers. He looked at the flower closely, twirling it slowly in his hand. He placed it in his pocket before looking up at the mountain, Bruce took a deep breath before he began to climb

It seemed to take him hours just to find a workable path upwards. The ground was steady and unsteady, with ice covering it, making the climb even more treacherous. As Bruce climbed, the path grew even steeper, and the path narrow. Bruce eventually found himself clinging to the side of the mountain, inching away along the cliff face. As he reached for the next hand hold, Bruce's grip slipped on some of the gathered ice. The sudden loss of his grip caused Bruce to lose his balance completely and he fell. Reacting quickly, he grabbed the ledge where his foot had been a moment before, stopping his fall. However, his leg ground across the tough rock, ripping his pant leg and skinning his shin.

Bruce gasped in pain as he struggled to maintain his grip on the rock face. Gritting his teeth, he slowly pulled himself back up and managed to stand again with some difficulty. He could feel the blood running down his leg and he desperately wanted to tend to it, but he had nowhere to stop and do that. He couldn't go back, so he pressed forward.

Eventually, he came to a stop where he could treat his wound, ripping a part of his shirt beneath his jacket and wrapping it around his exposed leg. He continued along his path, which grew even more treacherous, if that even was possible. Soon enough, he was climbing up a sheer cliff, the cold wind buffeting as he made his way up, foot by foot, inch by inch.

After what seemed like ages, he reached the lip of the cliff and pulled himself up. With a heave, he threw himself up over the side and landed face first in a pile of snow. Slowly, he breathed and tried to regain his energy. It took everything he had not to collapse from exhaustion right there in the snow. But even with all his aches and pains, Bruce forced himself to his feet so that he could keep moving.

As he got up out of the snow, Bruce looked up at what lay before him. To his amazement, the mountain now leveled off, though the slope to the top was still rather steep. From where he stood he could make out the top as well as what sat on it. On the very top of the mountain was built a large mansion, made out of wood and stone with a style similar to an old Chinese fortress.

Readjusting his pack, and making sure the flower was still in his pocket, Bruce began trudging through the snow towards the building. After a few minutes of work, he managed to reach the front door. For a minute, he looked around for something to knock with, but then decided that that was ridiculous and simply pushed the large wooden door open. The door opened easily enough and Bruce soon found himself in an entrance hall made of fine wood, with pillars every few feet.

He walked down the hall before coming to a large room. Two pairs of stairways led up to a balcony on the second door, with a pair of double doors lead further into the mansion. On the first floor, a hallway sat on either side of Bruce.

As he walked in, the double doors opened and Ra's stepped out, walking up to the railing of the balcony, leaning against it as he looked down at Bruce. With him was a large group of people. Bruce recognized Talia and Ubu on each of Ra's sides but there were four new faces as well.

Next to Talia was a woman who looked slightly older then her. She had a paler complexion then Talia, with short black hair and brown eyes. She wore an outfit similar to Talia's. On Talia's other side was a man dressed in a long tan robe with the hood pulled up, obscuring his features. From what Bruce could make out, it seemed like his skin was almost pure white.

One was a Caucasian man, older than Bruce but still in his prime. He had piercing blue eyes and short blond hair. He wore a tight black t-shirt and black pants along with black shoes and gloves. His muscular arms were crossed as he looked at Bruce with contempt.

Another was an African-American man, just as tall and imposing as the other man. He seemed as old as the other man, with dark brown eyes and a bald head. He had a short goatee and two lines of dark face paint on each of his cheeks. He wore an outfit similar to the first man's though he wore no gloves.

The third person was a woman of Asian descent. She had hazel brown eyes and long black hair tied in a long pony tail. She wore a tight black shirt along with black pants and shoes. She seemed to eye Bruce with a predatory eye.

The final person was another woman. She had long, wavy black hair, olive skin and hazel eyes. She wore an outfit similar to that of the other woman, with the addition of a black bandana that kept her hair away from her eyes. Bruce also noticed a pair of sais hanging from her hips.

"Mr. Wayne," Ra's greeted them with a smile, "I'm very glad to see you made it. Did you bring the flower?"

Bruce slowly took out the flower and presented for Ra's to see.

"Well done, Mr. Wayne," Ra's said, clapping his hands politely, "You have passed the first test."

"First test?" Bruce asked, as a chill ran down his spine, "As in more than one?"

"Yes," Ra's answered, "Speaking of which, it is time to begin the second."

He gestured to the people gathered around him.

"You've met Ubu and my daughter, Talia. Now allow me to introduce a few other members of our organization.

"This is my elder daughter, Nyssa, and my son, Dusan" he said motioning to the man and woman next to Talia.

"This man is David Cain," he gestured to the blond man next to before turning towards the African American man, "and this is Benjamin , the Bronze Tiger."

"Finally these lovely creatures are Lady Shiva and Elektra Nachios," Ra's continued, introducing the two other women.

"Now that we've all been introduced," Ra's stated, turning back to Bruce, "I believe it is time to begin the second test."

"What would that be?" Bruce asked, a chill running down his spine.

"Oh, I think you know exactly what it is, Mr. Wayne," he said, turning and beginning to walk away. Before he walked through the double doors again, he paused and looked over his shoulder.

"Take him," he ordered before continuing onward.

That was all the signal that was needed as the eight men and women sprang into action, leaping from the balcony to the floor Bruce was on. Bruce barely had any time to react before they were upon him.

The fleet-footed Talia reached him first. Drawing a pair of previously unseen daggers, she slashed at Bruce's neck, forcing him to duck. She quickly threw a knee at Bruce's face, but he blocked it and swept her other leg, sending her falling to the ground.

Bruce quickly rolled backwards and to his feet, avoiding a kick David had sent at his head. Bruce sent a kick at David, but the older man blocked it, responding with a kick of his own, striking Bruce in the chest and sending him rolling backwards.

Bruce picked himself up, just as Lady Shiva came at him from behind. Bruce saw her and managed to turn and block a knife-hand strike she sent at his chest, but she responded quickly by jabbing two fingers from her other hand into his shoulder, causing one of his arms to go numb. As Bruce tried to recover, Shiva ran up and swept one of his legs upwards. As he tilted off balance, she struck him in the chest with a palm strike, sending him flying back through the air.

Bruce flew backwards and slammed into a wall of muscle. Glancing over his shoulder as he tried to recover, he saw Ubu looming over him. Before Bruce could react, Ubu wrapped his large arms around Bruce, before hefting into the air, slamming Bruce backwards onto the ground. Bruce rolled across the ground, cradling his head as pain shot through it. Before Bruce could recover, Ubu quickly picked himself up and ran over to him, kicking him in the stomach and sending Bruce flying across the room and slamming into a wall.

Bruce groaned as he slowly rose onto shaky feet. Looking over he saw David and Bronze Tiger approaching him. David had now drawn a dangerous looking machete while Tiger had donned a pair of gloves ending in sharp claws.

Bronze Tiger leaped at Bruce, who rolled out of the way, causing Tiger to leave a long gash in the wall behind him. Bruce rolled to his feet and was forced to immediately dodge as David slashed at him with his machete. Bruce quickly grabbed the strap of his bag, before whirling it around and smacking David's arm, knocking the blade from his hand and sending it skidding across the ground. The blow knocked David off balance, allowing Bruce to kick him in the chest and send him stumbling backwards.

As David stumbled away, Elektra leapt over him, flipping through the air before kicking Bruce in the chest. Bruce stumbled backwards as Elektra flipped back through the air. As Bruce stumbled, Bronze Tiger ran up behind him and slashed at his back, scratching deep lines through his clothes and skin while sending him stumbling forward again.

As Bruce stumbled forward, Shiva rushed at him, ducking below Elektra as she flipped over her. She quickly jabbed Bruce in his shoulders, sending searing pain through his arms before she punched him hard in the stomach, knocking the wind out of him. As he tried to recover, Shiva jumped into the air and preformed a round house kick to his head, spinning him around and sending him stumbling again, right into Bronze Tiger's waiting attack.

Bronze Tiger slashed upwards, cutting into Bruce's chest and sending him flying upwards. As Bruce flew into the air, Shiva rushed forward before jumping onto and off of Bronze Tiger's shoulders. Flying up to where Bruce was, she kicked him in the back twice, sending him higher into the air. As he flew, Talia, who had made her way back up to the balcony, took a running leap off the banister and sailed above Bruce, before whirling around and kicking him in the chest, sending him rocketing towards the ground. Just before Bruce hit the ground, Ubu rushed forward and punched him hard in the gut, sending Bruce flying into, then through the wall.

Bruce rolled across the floor before he his back slammed into something hard, making a loud cracking noise. He let out a strangled cough as he tried to regain his bearings with his blurry vision. He was now inside a much larger room, with a high vaulted ceiling. Looking behind him, he saw he had slammed into a banister, which circled around a large pit in the center of the room.

The pit was a few yards deep and was covered in water. Long logs stuck straight out of the pit, creating a forest of small platforms. Around the pit were two circling platforms, the one he was one and the floor above him, supported on the first floor by thick wooden columns. Doors leading to other rooms were placed on each level at various points. Bruce also saw on the second floor on the other side of the room was a large open area. The floor was covered in mats, making it look like a training area, while a simple wooden throne sat at the very back of the area. Bruce could see Ra's sitting in the throne, watching him attentively. A number of masked men stood on either side of him, dressed in black. There were a few unmasked individuals as well, who Bruce figured were other elite troops like the ones he was fighting.

A loud crash caught Bruce's attention as Ubu came barreling through the wall. Bruce quickly hopped to his feet, before he whirled around and hopped up onto the banister. Just as Ubu reached him, Bruce leapt on one of the poles, causing Ubu to crash into and through the banister. Ubu acted quickly though and managed to grab another one of the poles before he fell in. Bruce quickly hopped between the poles until he reached the middle of the pit.

Turning around, he had to dodge to the side as a dart flew past him. Looking down, he saw Nyssa rush through the whole and leap up onto another one of the poles. She drew another pair of darts and threw them at him. Bruce hopped down and grabbed the pole, using it to block the darts.

As he did, he saw Dusan charging at him over the poles. He had shed his robe, revealing more of his pure white skin. He wielded twin scimitars which he swung around as he hopped across the poles. He swung at Bruce, who dodged by jumping over to another pole. He struggled to pull himself up as Dusan regained his balance. As Dusan turned to face Bruce, Bruce kicked Dusan's shin. Dusan lost his balance before falling on his stomach onto the pole.

Bruce quickly stood up before hopping along the poles to the other side of the pit, dodging the darts thrown by Nyssa. Landing on the floor, he had to quickly roll forward as David slashed at him with his machete. Bruce rolled to his feet before whirling around and kicking at David's face. A second before the blow connected though, a hand reached out and stopped his attack. Looking over, he saw Shiva holding his leg. She smirked at him before lashing out with her other hand, striking him in the groin. As Bruce recoiled in pain, Shiva chopped him in the neck, causing him to gag before she kicked him in the chest and released his leg, sending him rolling across the floor.

Bruce rolled to his hands and knees before coughing violently, blood splattering the ground beneath him. As he tried to recover, Ubu ran up and kicked him in the stomach. The blow knocked Bruce into the air, where Ubu grabbed him by the back of his jacket and threw him back into the ground, causing the boards to crack underneath Bruce.

Bruce groaned as he tried to get up, but Ubu stepped on his back, holding him in place. Slowly, the other people he had been fighting gathered around him.

"Pathetic," David spat, sheathing his machete, "Barely put up a fight."

"I thought he did well," Talia countered, "For the shape he's in at least."

"Still it clearly wasn't-ack!" Ubu shouted as Bruce's fist shot out, catching him in the groin. As Ubu reeled in pain, Bruce pushed his foot off of his back before hopping to his feet in a crouched position. Sweeping his foot, he tripped Shiva and Talia, sending them falling to the floor. Bronze Tiger swiped at him, but Bruce grabbed his arm and flipped him over his shoulder, slamming him onto Shiva and Talia.

Bruce turned as Dusan swung his swords at him. Bruce leapt into the air, soaring above the blades and even Dusan himself. Before the albino could react, Bruce landed on his face before jumping off of it. Bruce flew through the air, before he grabbed the edge of the balcony Ra's' throne was on. He slowly pulled himself up as the people below him scrambled to follow. Bruce quickly swung himself over the balcony, before turning his gaze towards Ra's, who looked back with a raised eyebrow.

With a roar, Bruce charged at him, causing the two guards on either side of him to step forward, drawing swords as he approached. Bruce seemed to expect this, as he leaped into the air while they drew their weapons before performing a split kick that struck both of them in the face, knocking them both back.

As he landed, Bruce grabbed one of the guards' swords and pulled it out of his hand. Before anyone else could react, Bruce had run up to the throne and was now pressing the blade against Ra's' neck. All the other guards immediately took an aggressive stance, drawing and pointing their swords at Bruce.

"Call your men off," Bruce growled.

Ra's looked at the sword at his neck, barely raising an eyebrow as he did before turning to look at Bruce. Slowly, he raised his hand, and the guards sheathed their swords while backing away.

"Do I pass your test?" Bruce asked.

"Not quite," Ra's replied simply.

In the blink of an eye, Ra's reached out and grabbed one of Bruce's wrists and turned the blade away from his neck. At the same time, he kicked Bruce in the stomach, sending him rolling way. The blow also caused Bruce to drop the sword, which Ra's grabbed out of midair. The guards quickly moved to surround Bruce but Ra's held up his hand, stopping them.

"Give him a sword," Ra's said simply, nodding to Bruce. One of the guards quickly complied, drawing his sword before sliding it across the ground to where Bruce lay. Bruce slowly pushed himself to his hands and knees, coughing violently and feeling he would have thrown up if he had any food in his stomach.

Groaning, he reached out and grabbed the hilt of the sword before rising unsteadily to his feet. Ra's calmly took a fighting stance, point his sword at Bruce, which Bruce mirrored, despite tilting slightly on his trembling legs. They stood for a few moments, merely staring at each other, before they both swung at each other, their swords colliding with a loud clang.

Ra's pushed Bruce back, sending him stumbling away. Bruce managed to regain his footing before deflecting a swing from Ra's before stabbing at him. Ra's easily deflected the blow, before kicking Bruce in the stomach. Bruce curled up with the blow, allowing Ra's to hit him on the back of the head with the hilt of his sword. Bruce collapsed to the crowd, the edges of his vision growing black as unconsciousness tried to claim him. But Bruce quickly shook it off and pushed himself back to his feet again.

"You should yield," Ra's advised, eyeing Bruce impassively.

"No," Bruce mumbled, shaking his head which caused him to tilt off balance slightly.

"Very well," Ra's replied with a shrug before swinging at Bruce again. The two clashed a half a dozen more times before Bruce lunged at Ra's with his sword. The speed of the attack managed to catch Ra's off guard and cutting his face. Bruce stumbled to a stop passed him as Ra's wiped the blood from his cheek and examined it. He looked back at Bruce and examined the exhausted and shabby state he was in.

"Impressive, Mr. Wayne," Ra's congratulated, wiping his blood on his pants, "You pass."

Bruce allowed himself a small smile before his eyes fluttered close and he collapsed to the ground, barely missing falling on his sword.

Ra's and the other looked at Bruce with bewilderment. Ra's turned his gaze from Bruce, looking around at the gathered members of the League with a raised eyebrow.

"What are you all standing around for?" he asked, an angered look crossing his face, "This man is injured! Get him a bed and summon Ojo to care for him!"

The guards erupted into a fury of action, with a few picking up Bruce and carrying him off. Meanwhile, Ra's returned to his throne, leaning his chin on his hand as he pondered the future for the new member of his organization.

A/N: Well this took a bit longer than expected. In all honesty, the chapter itself was longer than I originally envisioned. In addition, now that I'm back at school, I don't have nearly as much free time as I used to. Still I'll try to get them out as soon as possible. Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, it was pretty fun to write! Please review! Later True Believers!


	7. House of Shadows

**Chapter 7: House of Shadows**

_A human being is only breath and shadow._

_-_Sophocles_  
_

_March 20__th__, 2009_

The first thing Bruce became aware of was the pillow beneath his head. It had been so long since he had had a pillow that he had almost forgotten what one felt like. Immediately afterwards, he became aware of how terribly sore his body was. It felt like every single atom of his body felt pain. Groaning, he slowly opened his eyes.

He could see he was now in a relatively simple room. It had hard wood floors and the only piece of furniture seemed to be the cot he was laying on. A small window sat above the bed, looking out onto the mountain range. Across from the bed was a sliding paper door.

Next to Bruce's bed kneeled a man. He appeared older than Bruce, somewhere in his forties. He appeared to be of Asian descent and had short black hair and a thin mustache. His eyes were covered by a simple black scarf and he wore a black uniform similar to the others.

"You are awake," he stated matter-of-factly, causing Bruce to jump in surprise.

"Do not be alarmed," the man reassured Bruce, "I am indeed blind, but I have learned other ways of perceiving the world. My name is Ojo and I am the medic of sorts in the League. You should be alright to get up, though you will be sore for a while."

"Alright," Bruce replied, sitting up in bed. He groaned as his muscles ached under the strain.

"Master Ghul asked me to bring you to him as soon as you were able," Ojo explained as he rose to his feet.

"Okay," Bruce replied, as he swung his legs out of the bed and stood up. He wobbled slightly, but managed to stay standing.

"Follow me," Ojo said before walking over to the door and opening it. Bruce followed him as Ojo led him out the door and through a maze of hallways. Bruce was dumbfounded as to how someone could navigate the place, let alone a blind person. But Ojo walked confidently through the halls, never giving a hint that he might be lost.

A few minutes of walking and they emerged onto the platform area where Bruce had fought Ra's. Ra's was currently in his throne, flanked on each side by a number of his masked guards. Ubu was also present, standing to Ra's immediate right. Ra's was intently watching something occurring in the main area.

Bruce followed his gaze to the pit near the middle of the room. Almost dancing on the poles were Talia and Nyssa, who were sparring with each other. They hopped around the poles, kicking and punching at each other in an effort to knock the other off. Talia leapt into the air as her sister swept at her feet. She landed on another pole, before striking at her with her fist. Nyssa grabbed the fist, stopping the attack. She twirled around and kicked her in the stomach. The blow knocked Talia back, but Nyssa still held her arm, yanking her forward and slamming her against the pole. Talia let out a gasp of pain as her chest slammed into the pole before she bounced off and fell into the water below with a splash.

Ra's smirked before he slowly began to applaud his daughter. Nyssa turned to face her father and bowed. She then skillfully hopped across the poles until she reached the floor. At the same time, Talia swam to a ladder in the pit and climbed out, her hair and clothes dripping wet. It was then that Ra's turned and looked at Bruce, finally acknowledging him.

"Mr. Wayne," he greeted, "It's good to see you up and about."

"I feel lucky to be up and about after what you and you're people put me through," Bruce commented.

"All part of the test, Mr. Wayne. We had to make sure you had the strength of body and will to be a part of our organization," Ra's explained.

"You still did quite a number on me," Bruce said.

"Yes, but with Ojo here to care for you, you were never really in any danger," Ra's said, gesturing towards Ojo.

"Thank you, Master," Ojo said with a bow, "May I leave?"

"Yes, you are dismissed Ojo," Ra's replied.

Ojo bowed again before turning and departing. As he left, Nyssa and Talia walked in.

"That was a very good display, girls," Ra's congratulated them, "Talia, you have to be careful about over extending yourself."

"Yes, father," Talia said with a slightly embarrassed tone in her voice.

"Regardless," Ra's continued, "Talia I wanted to ask you to show Mr. Wayne around our home."

"Yes, father," Talia said, though it sounded like she wasn't too interested in the idea.

"Follow me, Mr. Wayne," she said as she turned while gesturing for him to follow. Bruce shrugged before following after her.

"I suppose the first order of business should be finding you a place where you can clean yourself up," Talia said, glancing back at him, "I'm guessing they didn't have many showers in that prison we found you in."

"That would be nice," Bruce agreed.

Talia led him through a series of hallways before stopping front of a door. Opening it, she revealed a simple bathroom inside.

"Everything you need for a shower and a shave should be in there," Talia said, gesturing for him to go inside, "I'll bring you some clothes."

"Thank you," Bruce replied as he entered.

Talia didn't respond as she closed the door and left, leaving Bruce alone in the bathroom. Bruce shrugged before turning the bath on, letting the hot water fill the air with steam.

_Later_

Talia walked back to the bathroom she had left Bruce in. She was now dressed in dry clothes and had taken the time to dry her hair. In her hand, she carried a uniform like the ones the other members of the League wore.

"Mr. Wayne?" she called, knocking on the door.

"Come in, Talia," Bruce called from the other side.

"I have your uni…" she began as she opened the door, but abruptly stopped when she saw what was behind it. Bruce stood in front of the small sink, washing his face. He was also completely naked except for the towel wrapped around his waist. The sight gave Talia a good look at Bruce's chiseled chest and powerful arms, dotted here and there with small scars. He had also shaved his face and trimmed his black hair, revealing his handsome features.

"…form." Talia slowly finished as she stood stock still, a small blush creeping across her features.

"Thanks Talia," he said, reaching for the uniform. Reacting quickly, she threw the clothes in his face before leaving the room and slamming the door behind her. Bruce slowly removed the clothes from his face while raising an eyebrow in confusion.

A few moments later, Bruce emerged from the bathroom, dressed in his new uniform. Talia was waiting patiently for him, a calm look on her features.

"Hey," he greeted, "I hope I didn't make you uncomfortable."

"Please, it would take much more than that to make me uncomfortable," she scoffed, before a sly grin crossed her face, "You do clean up nice though, Mr. Wayne."

"Thanks," he replied, smiling back, "and please, call me Bruce."

"All right Bruce," she said with a smile, "Shall we continue your tour?"

"Let's," he said, gesturing for her to continue.

_Later_

Bruce and Talia walked down one of the halls in the mansion, laughing as they chatted with each other. They walked around a corner and almost walked right into Dusan.

"Oh, hello brother," Talia greeted him.

"Hello, sister," he greeted in return, "Hello, Mr. Wayne."

Bruce nodded to him in greeting.

"Father wanted me to find you to discuss something," Dusan explained.

"Of course," she said, before turning to Bruce, "Can you give my brother and I a moment, Bruce? Feel free to explore some more on your own, but don't wander too far."

"Right," Bruce nodded before wandering away, giving the siblings privacy.

Bruce wandered around the hallways of the mansion, feeling rather aimless. Turning a corner, he walked down another nondescript hallway. As he did, he noticed a door slightly open to his side. He glanced at it with a slight sense of curiosity as he passed. What he saw however, completely caught his attention.

Inside the room sat a young girl, no older than ten. She had short black hair and brown eyes with Asian features. She wore a uniform similar to the one he had, though tailored for someone her size. She sat quietly in the middle of the room, staring vacantly at the white wall in front of her.

Bruce looked around for a moment, confused by the lack of anyone else around. Seeing no one, he turned back to the door and opened it further.

"Hello?" he asked, opening the door.

The little girl whipped her head around at the sound of his voice. Seeing him, her eyes went wide as she jumped to her feet before quickly sliding into a defensive position. Bruce looked at her in surprise. Did this little girl want to fight him?

"Wait, wait," Bruce quickly said, not even sure she understood him. He put his hands up in front of him, showing he meant no harm. The girl seemed confused by this turn of events, her guard dropping slightly.

"I'm not going to hurt you," Bruce said as he kneeled down to her level, his hands still up.

The girl seemed to understand, though it seemed like his lack of hostility was only confusing her. She completely dropped her guard before taking a few cautious steps away from him.

"It's alright," he reassured her, "My name's Bruce, what's yours?"

She continued to look at him in confusion.

"_Wo jiao Bruce_" he said in Chinese, "_Ni zou shenme mingzi?_"

Yet more of the same blank stare. Bruce was at a loss. He figured she could simply speak another language, but something didn't add up. She hadn't said a single word nor even made a single sound since he came in. He was starting to wonder if she even spoke at all.

"Bruce" he said, pointing to himself, "Bruce."

The girl continued to stare at him though the confused expression dropped from her face.

"Bruce," he repeated.

Her mouth began to move slightly as she tried to figure out how to make the sound.

"B….B…" she began to say.

"Yeah that's right," Bruce said with a smile, "Bruce."

Suddenly, the sound of someone running down the hallway caught Bruce's attention. He turned just in time to see David come charging into the room. Before Bruce could react, David slammed into him.

"What the hell!" Bruce shouted, before David slapped a hand over his mouth. Bruce let out muffled protests before David dragged him to his feet and out the door, slamming it closed behind him.

Bruce tried to get out of his grip but David slammed him against the wall. He moved to draw his machete when another hand reached out and grabbed his wrist. Turning, he found Talia glaring daggers at him. David glared back and tried to draw his weapon again. Talia dug her fingernails into David's wrist, emphasizing her anger. Snorting in anger, he let go of his machete before letting Bruce go. Bruce let out a strangled cough as he rubbed his neck.

"What-" Bruce began to say, but Talia quickly covered his mouth, placing a finger to her lips to signal to him not to talk. She then motioned for him to follow her. A questioning look on his face, he followed her as he led him down a series of hallways, with David right behind them. After a bit of walking, they reached the point where Bruce had left her earlier and signaled for them to stop.

"Now listen here you-" David began but was quickly cut off when Talia held her hand up.

"That's enough out of you, Cain," she said, "Get out of here."

"I don't work for you, little girl," he growled as he leaned down to glare at her.

"But you do work for my father. Now go," she ordered.

David snorted in anger before turning and stomping off. Talia let out a small sigh of relief before turning back to Bruce.

"My apologizes," she said, "David can be a handful sometimes."

"I'll say," Bruce agreed, "What was that about? Who was that girl?"

"She's dangerous Bruce, you need to stay away from her," Talia told him.

"Dangerous?" he questioned, "She looks like she's ten."

"Looks can be deceiving," Talia replied, "She could kill you in a heartbeat, that's why she's being kept here."

"She's not exactly well guarded," Bruce commented.

"That's my fault," Talia said, looking down at her feet in shame, "I was supposed to tell you that area of the mansion is off limits, for that specific reason. David prowls this area to make sure no one goes in and she doesn't come out."

"Alright. Why aren't we allowed to talk to her?" Bruce questioned.

"She can get in your head, Bruce. She may look like a ten year old girl but she's very dangerous. You should just leave her alone," Talia explained.

"Alright," Bruce said reluctantly.

"Come on," Talia said, motioning for him to follow her, "I'm sure my father will want to see you."

Bruce nodded and began to follow her, but not before casting a look over his shoulder towards where he knew the girl was being kept.

_Later_

Night had fallen over the mansion. The little girl lay in her room, sleeping on the floor. She slept peacefully, her mouth moving slightly as she dreamed.

"Br…Bru…" she said unconsciously "Bru….ce…"

A/N: Well that one was fun, I figure it should be a little obvious who the little girl is supposed to be. Hope you guys liked this chapter! Please review! Later True Believers!


	8. The Sensei

**Chapter 8: The Sensei**

_As I grow older, I pay less attention to what men say. I just watch what they do._

-Andrew Carnegie

_March 21__st__, 2009_

Bruce wandered through the halls, heading towards the main hall of the mansion. Entering it, he found Ra's sitting in his usual seat, patiently waiting for him.

"Good morning, Mr. Wayne," Ra's greeted him.

"Good morning, Ra's," Bruce said in return.

"Well Mr. Wayne, your injuries should have healed enough that you can now begin your training," Ra's explained.

"Alright, where do we begin?" Bruce asked.

"I will show you," Ra's said as he stood up. The guards surrounding him began to move, but Ra's signaled for them to stay. He led Bruce through the doorway on the other side of the room and continued through the mansion's maze-like hallways. After a few minutes, they reached a door which Ra's opened, revealing it led to the slopping mountainside.

"Where are we going exactly?" Bruce questioned.

"The man we're going to see chooses not to live within our compounded. Don't worry, it's not another harrowing climb like the one you made a few days ago. Just a bit of a walk up the slope. Come along, Mr. Wayne," Ra's explained before motioning for Bruce to follow.

They began to march up the side of the mountain, trudging from the snow as they did. Slowly but surely they climbed, until eventually a small structure came into view on top of the ridge that overlooked the mansion. It was a small, simple house with the same architectural design as the mansion. A short stone wall cut off a square section of land, creating a small courtyard in front of the building.

Ra's paused in front of the house, before turning to Bruce.

"Now, it is important that you do exactly as I do. The man you are about to meet is very easily offended, and if you do not show him the proper respect, he might refuse to train you," Ra's explained.

"Alright," Bruce agreed, nodding his head.

They both walked towards the entrance, Ra's in the lead. As they reached the doorway, Bruce could see into the house. It was a simply furnished house, with a small cot and table, along with a small furnace which burned with the coals inside. Sitting in the middle of the small building was an old man, sitting in the lotus position on a simple mat.

He was a practically ancient man, with pure white hair and wrinkles covering his skin like cracks in an old wall. His hair was long, held back from his face by a pony tail tied near the top of his head. He also had a mustache and beard, both of which were long and thin, looking carefully trimmed. He wore a simple black robe with a white lining around the edges. He wore tight white socks and a pair of simple sandals sat near him. His breathing was even as his eyes were closed in meditation.

"Welcome, Ra's al-Ghul," the man greeted, not opening his eyes, "Who is this man you bring with you, the one who sloshes through the snow like a drunken ox?"

"I-" Bruce began to say, but he was stopped by a sharp look from Ra's.

"Ah," the old man chuckled, "Not allowed to talk are you? No doubt your tongue is as clumsy as your feet. No doubt it is for the best, as I would likely end up ripping it out."

"Sensei, this is Bruce Wayne, our newest recruit," Ra's introduced him.

"Newest? There is a new recruit all the time and you do not trouble me with their distasteful presence. Why do you bring me this 'Bruce Wayne' before me?" the Sensei asked.

"He is special," Ra's said simply.

"Special? A stupid boy with one eye is special too but I wouldn't train him," the Sensei sneered.

"Sensei, please," Ra's pleaded, though Bruce detected a warning tone in his voice.

"Very well," the Sensei said, opening his eyes and standing up, "He seems to have made some sort of impression on you, Ra's. Now let's see if the fool can make one on me."

He slipped on his sandals before walking out into the courtyard. It was then that Bruce noticed that the man was only half his size.

"Have you had training before, boy?" he asked.

"I've spent the past few years studying multiple forms of combat. I've learned jujitsu ninjitsu, kung fu, karate, bushido, boxing, wrestling, mui thai-" Bruce listed off but was cut off as the Sensei let out a scoff.

"Novice in everything and master in nothing. Butter spread to far across the bread offers no taste," the Sensei chided.

Bruce's eyes narrowed and his fists clenched at the quips.

"Oh you think differently?" the Sensei asked, a raised eyebrow, "Fine, show me your pathetic skills."

Bruce's eyes narrowed as he took a few steps away before he slid into a defensive stance. The Sensei smirked while he simply folded his arms behind his back. Bruce looked at him in confusion.

"Well?" he asked, "I'm waiting."

Looking over at Ra's, he saw the man leaning against the stone wall surrounding the courtyard. He merely shrugged before gesturing towards the Sensei, urging him to begin. Bruce turned back to the Sensei, who was still waiting for him to attack. Taking a calming breath, Bruce leapt forward, kicking at his head.

Sensei simply ducked under Bruce's foot, his face showing no effort. Bruce landed nimbly, before whirling around and kicking at Sensei again. Sensei easily dodged the blow again, leaning out of the way of the kick. Bruce reset himself, before punching at him. This time, Sensei ducked beneath the attack, before rising up and driving his knee into Bruce's stomach.

The air rushed out of his lungs as the Sensei's knee dug into his stomach. As he doubled over, Sensei reached up with his other leg and kicked him in the face. Using the momentum from his kick, Sensei spun up into the air, now above Bruce. He quickly kicked with his other foot, bouncing off of Bruce's head while Bruce was knocked face first into the snow. Sensei flipped through the air, landing gently on the ground, his arms still crossed behind his back.

Bruce slowly pushed himself to his hands and knees. He wiped his face of snow before turning to face Sensei. As he looked at the older man, he noticed that he wasn't sinking into the snow. Instead he seemed to be standing on it like it was completely solid.

"Is that it?" Sensei asked, "A four year old could do better."

Bruce's eyes narrowed, before he sprung back to his feet and rushed Sensei again. Just as Bruce reached him, Sensei ducked low and kicked Bruce hard in the shin. Bruce let out a grunt of pain as he fell to one knee. Sensei quickly sprang up, driving a knee into Bruce's stomach again, while placing his other foot on Bruce's knee. Balancing on his one foot, Sensei quickly withdrew his knee before driving it into Bruce's face. Bruce's head snapped back from the impact, allowing Sensei to snap his foot forward, catching Bruce on the jaw. The blow sent Bruce flipping backwards, landing face first in the snow again while Sensei flipped backwards and landed gracefully.

Bruce quickly pushed himself to his feet again before charging. As he reached Sensei, he moved his leg as if he were going to kick but instead quickly pulled back and threw a punch. Sensei was not fooled however, and leapt into the air again, above Bruce's punch. As he came down, he landed on Bruce's arm. To Bruce's utter astonishment, his arm didn't buckle under the old man's weight. Instead he found himself completely supporting Sensei, the old man feeling no heavier than a feather. Sensei smirked at Bruce's bewildered expression, before backflipping off his arm, kicking Bruce under the chin again as he did so. The blow sent Bruce tumbling back for a third time as Sensei landed unharmed.

"How did you do that?" Bruce asked as he picked himself up.

"You're simple mind could not possibly grasp the ways I have learned to interact with the world," Sensei said dismissively, "Now, is that truly the best you can do? I feel like a cat toying with a half dead mouse."

Bruce didn't respond, merely sliding into a defensive stance. The two stood staring at each other for a few moments, the only sound was that of the wind blowing over the snowcapped mountains.

"Well?" Sensei asked, impatience in his voice.

Bruce merely extended his hand, before motioning for Sensei to come to him.

"So it learns," Sensei said with a hint of respect. He uncrossed his arms from behind his back, before running at Bruce. He moved at an astounding speed, and as Bruce watched, he continued to move along the snow as if it were completely solid, not leaving any mark of his passage.

Sensei was on Bruce within seconds, jumping into the air a few feet from him and flipping towards him. Bruce managed to duck as the old man tried to kick him again, rolling away to face him. Sensei landed before springing back into the air, soaring above Bruce, before rocketing back towards him with his foot extended. Bruce managed to roll out of the way again as Sensei landed hard, causing the snow to shoot up in all directions. Taking his opportunity, Bruce leapt through the cloud of snow, throwing a punch where he had seen Sensei a few moments ago.

The blow connected with Sensei's shoulder, causing him to spin around. Sensei moved with the momentum, rolling around Bruce as he grabbed his arm and pulled it back. At the same time, Sensei kicked the back of Bruce's knees, knocking him to the ground. Sensei quickly placed his foot against Bruce's shoulder before yanking hard on his arm, causing Bruce to let out a grunt of pain.

"I could break it like a twig you know," the Sensei informed him, "You are completely at my mercy."

Bruce tried to move in order to escape, but Sensei merely yanked on his arm again, causing Bruce to let out a cry of pain.

"And yet you still try to escape," Sensei observed, "You're tenacity impresses me. Not many would continue getting up after I knocked them down so easily. Especially with such fire in their eyes. Even fewer would have struck me, no matter how trivial the blow."

He gave the arm another tug, causing Bruce to yell in pain again.

"You see, this arm belongs to me now," Sensei said before letting go of the arm and pushing Bruce to the ground. Bruce grunted in pain as he grabbed his sore shoulder.

"And as such, I want it to be strong, along with the rest of you," Sensei stated, before turning to Ra's, who was still leaning against the wall, "I will train him. He is to be here at dawn tomorrow to begin his training."

"He will be there," Ra's said with a nod as he pushed himself up off of the wall. "Come Bruce."

Bruce pushed himself back to his feet, still rubbing his sore shoulder.

"I suggest you get used to that pain, my student," the Sensei said, a devilish smirk on his face, "There is much more of it where that came from."

Bruce merely grunted as he began to follow Ra's back down the mountain. This seemed to amuse Sensei, as he laughed loudly at Bruce, his voice carried by the mountain winds.

_Later_

Night had fallen once again over the mountain fortress. The pale moonlight filtered through the small windows that dotted the building. One window led to a small room in which a small girl slept on the floor, no pillow or blanket to comfort her. Her features were peaceful as she slept, contrasting the scars that dotted her body.

She was awoken by a small noise outside her room. She quickly sprung to her feet and assumed a defensive position. The door slowly opened, revealing Bruce behind it. He looked around before sliding inside. Quietly closing the door behind him, he turned to look back at the girl. She seemed to recognize him, as she has uneasily dropped her guard again. Bruce brought his finger up to his mouth in a shushing motion.

The little girl looked at him in confusion before she slowly mimicked the gesture. Bruce nodded as he lowered his hand.

"Do you remember me?" he whispered.

The girl stared blankly at him.

"Right, right," Bruce said, pinching the bridge of the nose and shaking his head. He looked up as an idea came to him.

"Bruce," he said, pointing at himself.

"B-Br…uce" she whispered, pointing at herself.

"Right," Bruce said with a smile, before he reached out for her hand, "except…"

Seeing his hand reaching out, the girl's hand snapped out, snatching Bruce's wrist before jerking it to the side. Bruce bit back a cry of pain as he held up his other hand, trying to get her to stop.

"Wait, wait," he whispered. This seemed to relax her as she loosed her grip on his arm.

Slowly Bruce reached out and took her hand. She flinched slightly at the contact, but relax when she saw he wasn't going to hurt her. Bruce took her hand and put it against his chest.

"Bruce," he said, letting her hand go. She kept it placed against his chest.

"Br…uce" she repeated, pushing her hand against his chest slightly.

"That's right," Bruce said, smiling at her.

The girl looked up at him. At first she seemed confused by the way he was looking at her, but slowly her mouth crept upwards, as if she was remembering how to do something she thought she had forgotten. Soon enough, she was smiling back at him.

A/N: Bit of a short chapter again, but I thought it was worth it to introduce the character of the Sensei and give the first hints of what Bruce's training will be like. Hope you guys liked it. Bonus points to those who can figure out where the inspiration for that scene came from. Please review! Later True Believers!


	9. Through Hell and Back

**Chapter 9: Through Hell and Back**

_I hated every minute of training, but I said, "Don't quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion."_

- Muhammad Ali

_ March 22__nd__ 2009_

Bruce trudged up the side of the mountain, making his way to the Sensei's house. The rising sun glinted off the bright white snow as he made his way alone. Ra's had said that he had to return to the old man alone. After a few minutes, the house came into view over the ridge of the mountain.

Walking into the courtyard, he looked into the house and saw the Sensei sitting in the same place and position that Bruce had seen him the day before.

"I take it the sound of an elephant stumbling up the mountain means that you have arrived, my student," he said without opening his eyes.

"Yes, I'm here, Sensei," Bruce replied, bowing deeply.

"Good, then I suppose I should begin making you into something that passes as a martial artist," the old man said as he opened his eyes and picked himself up. He walked out to Bruce, where Bruce noticed his way of walking on top of the snow again.

"Sensei, may I ask you a question?" Bruce asked politely.

"You may try," Sensei replied.

"How do you walk on the snow like that, without leaving any trace of your passage? Or when you stood on my arm yesterday," Bruce questioned.

"I could see the curiosity in your eyes during that fight," Sensei commented with a chuckle, "I knew you would ask."

"When I said I interacted with the world in ways you couldn't possibly understand, I meant it. Though perhaps I can instruct you in a way that your simple mind can grasp," Sensei explained.

"All life has energy, my student. An internal, life energy. It has many names. Ki, chi, chakra, what have you. All just semantics. What truly matters is that it can be manipulated to create variety of effects. It can be used as you've seen me do, to allow me to stand upon surfaces that could not otherwise support my weight. It can also be used to increase my speed and strength. It can even be expelled from the body in both harmful and curative ways."

"Are you saying this is…magic?" Bruce asked.

"No. Magic is something completely different," Sensei corrected, "The power to manipulate your chi is within all people. Magic is not."

"So you can teach me how to do this?" Bruce asked.

"No," Sensei answered simply.

"But you just said-" Bruce began.

"I know what I said," Sensei cut him off sharply, "Everyone has the ability to manipulate their chi to the level that I can but you must be trained to do it. The training is harsh and intensive and must be started at a young age. An age you have surpassed."

"I see," Bruce relented.

"Do not despair though, my student. Though you cannot learn the greatest of chi techniques, you can still benefit from the training. I will teach you how to improve your reflexes and strengthen your blows. Though you won't be able to walk upon water, your footfalls will be as a silent as a cats. Pain that would debilitate a lesser man will be nothing more than a discomfort to you," Sensei explained before turning to Bruce, a smirk on his face, "Are you interested?"

"I am," Bruce replied.

"Good, then let's begin."

_Time passes_

"So I understand that you have familiarity with the art of ninjitsu," Ra's commented as he made his way through the mansion. They eventually came to a large room. In it, there were numerous pots and jars, filled with a variety of substances. Sitting at a small work table in the middle of the room was Ojo. He was slowly mixing a substance in a small clay bowl.

"Welcome Master Ra's, Brother Wayne," Ojo greeted them, not turning from his work.

"Ojo," Ra's replied, before turning back to Bruce.

"Yes, I am," Bruce replied.

"Then you are familiar with art of distraction and theatrics?" Ra's questioned.

"I was taught that," Bruce answered.

"Good, then perhaps you are familiar with the use of explosive powders," Ra's mused, before he reached into one of the jars and he retrieved a pinch of a black powder. Turning, he threw it against the ground, resulting in a loud flash of light and sharp crack before a small cloud floated up from the spot where the powder struck.

"I have seen ones like that, though not as potent," Bruce observed.

"Ojo is quite the skilled chemist in addition to his talent as a medic," Ra's explained, "In addition to our powders, we also use a variety of toxins and chemicals to remove our enemies from combat, be it through disorientation, paralysis or pain."

"You seem to put a lot of emphasis on keeping your opponents off balance," Bruce observed.

"An off balance opponent is far easier to subdue. Theatrics can aide you in doing that, whether setting up an immediate strike," Ra's explained, before he snapped his fingers.

As he did, three previously unseen members of the League dropped from the roof, before taking up positions around Bruce.

"Or allow you to disappear into the shadows," Ra's finished.

Bruce smiled at the display, looking at the members around him before turning back to Ra's.

"Show me more," he stated with a smirk.

_Time passes_

"It takes a delicate touch to be skilled in the art of throwing," Nyssa explained. She and Bruce stood in another large room in the mansion. It was largely empty, with a few wooden targets at one end of the room. Bruce and Nyssa stood at the other, next to a table on which a number of throwing weapons sat.

"It's all about concentration and form," she explained as she picked up a thin, steel needle from the table. Turning towards one of the targets, she focused on it before flicking her wrist, sending the needle racing through the air. It hit the center of the target with a dull thunk.

"Impressive," Bruce observed.

"Thank you," Nyssa replied, "Now you try. Everyone has a weapon they feel a connection with. I suggest you try them all."

Bruce looked at the table. It was littered with various weapons. Knives, needles, darts, even some axes and boomerangs. What drew Bruce's attention though was the pile of shuriken sitting near him. Reaching out, he picked up one from the pile. Holding it up, he observed it closely, testing each of its four points.

"Though sometimes a weapon calls to you," Nyssa observed, "Try it."

Bruce turned to face the target. Focusing, he held the shuriken between his index and middle finger. Pulling his arm back, he let the shuriken fly. A second later there was a dull thunk as the weapon hit the target, causing a smirk to appear on Bruce's face.

_Time passes_

Bruce stood on one of the vertical logs over the water filled pit. Elektra and Bronze Tiger stood with him. Bruce stood in a defensive stance, looking warily at the people surrounding him. They all stood stock still, the room completely quite except for the occasional lapping of the water beneath them.

Suddenly, Elektra lashed out at him, stabbing at him with a knife-hand strike. Bruce dodged out of the way, shifting his weight so that he wouldn't slip off the pole. A moment later, Tiger kicked at his head. Bruce dodged again, this time by leaning backwards and placing his hands on two poles behind him, leaving only one of his legs free. Tiger tried to kick at him again, but Bruce lashed out with his own foot, blocking the kick. Bruce then twirled his leg around, knocking Tiger's leg upward. As the large man was knocked off balance, Bruce kicked at him, hitting him in the thigh. The blow knocked Tiger further off balance, forcing him to swing around and place his foot on another pole, resulting in him doing a full split.

Before Bruce could right himself, Elektra hopped forward and kicked at Bruce. Bruce dodged it by pushing himself up into a handstand, causing Elektra's kick to swing through empty air. Elektra quickly hopped over to the pole where Bruce had been standing before sweeping at his hands. Bruce saw it coming and dodged again, this time by vaulting into the air. He flipped around before landing neatly on one of another one of the poles.

"I see your training with the Sensei is paying off," Elektra commented as she hopped to another of the poles. At the same time, Tiger pulled himself back up and hopped over to her side.

"He is a good teacher," Bruce replied.

"That he is," Elektra agreed, "Shall we continue?"

"Let's," Bruce answered, motioning for her to come to him. Elektra smirked before she leapt into the air and threw a kick at Bruce's head. Bruce turned the kick aside, sending Elektra flying past him, where she landed gracefully on another post. At the same time, Tiger leapt down and thrust his fist at Bruce's midsection. Bruce leaned out of the way of the attack before taking the opportunity to kick Tiger in the stomach. The blow forced Tiger back slightly, forcing him to hop back onto another pole.

Elektra lashed out with a fist, which Bruce blocked with his arm. Elektra attacked him with a flurry of blows, forcing Bruce on the defensive. He rapidly blocked the blows, though some broke through, striking Bruce in the shoulders and chest. At the same time, Tiger leapt back behind Bruce and thrust a palm at him. Bruce managed to block the attack, but this left him open to Elektra punching him in the kidney. Bruce let out a cry of pain, allowing Tiger to punch him in the stomach, causing Bruce to double over.

Tiger moved to punch Bruce in the back of his exposed head, but Bruce's hand lashed out and grabbed Tiger's fist, stopping him. He quickly stood up, still holding Tiger's fist. At the same time, Elektra threw a kick at his side. Bruce managed to catch her foot as well before lifting it above his head. Before either Elektra or Tiger could do anything, Bruce leapt into the air and did a split kick, hitting them both in the chest. The blow knocked both of them into the air while Bruce landed back on the pole. Elektra flipped through the air and landed on a pole on the edge of the pit. Tiger meanwhile just missed landing on the pole, grabbing one and hanging from it to stop his fall instead.

Bruce prepared to continue his fight when he heard clapping. Looking up, he saw Ra's watching him from his chair, applauding him. Bruce smirked before bowing to him.

_Time passes_

Bruce stood on the cold mountainside, the wind and snow buffeting around him. He stood on a pole stuck in the icy ground, shirtless and barefoot. His eyes were closed in complete concentration, his hands held together in meditation. Numerous cuts covered his body, slowly oozing blood, leaving crimson trails down his body.

"Focus!" Sensei shouted as he struck Bruce again with a switch, hitting him with a loud crack. Bruce didn't even flinch as another cut formed on his back, a new source of blood opening up. Sensei slowly circled around Bruce, carefully walking around Bruce, heedless of the storm blowing around him and looking for any sign that Bruce had lost his focus. A small smile crossed his old face as he saw no such signs.

"Very good, my student," Sensei congratulated him, "It would appear you are learning."

A/N: So short chapter this time around. Basically this was a montage of Bruce's training with the League of Shadows. Obviously, montages are harder to do in written form. Hope you guys liked it. Also, the whole discussion of ki is meant to rectify the fact that people like Elektra and Iron Fist can do amazing things thanks to intense training and Batman can't. It's also supposed to explain the rather unrealistic things Batman does that get explained away as training. Hope it works for you guys! Please review! Later True Believers!


	10. Hand of Death

**Chapter 10: Hand of Death**

_All war is deception_

-Sun Tzu

_November 13__th__, 2011_

The clang of swords echoed over the mountain, carried upon the frigid winds. Bruce stood on a frozen lake facing Ra's. Both were dressed in their full uniform and wielded swords that shown in the sunlight. They stood a few feet away from each other, watching each other like gunslingers waiting for high noon.

Suddenly, Bruce leapt forward, swinging his sword at Ra's head. Ra's easily deflected it by bring up his own sword and batting the attack away. Bruce quickly spun around and ducked low while swinging at the older man's midsection. Ra's quickly spun his sword around and blocked Bruce's attack with the sound of metal against metal ringing through the air.

Ra's quickly pushed Bruce's sword away, before sliding his up Bruce's blade to get closer to him. Stepping inside Bruce's defenses, he elbowed Bruce in the face, sending the younger man stumbling back. As Bruce recovered, Ra's lifted his sword above his head and swung down at him. Bruce quickly deflected the attack, the force of the blow sending him sliding backwards across the icy ground.

Ra's quickly followed up by swiping at Bruce's legs with his sword. Bruce leapt up into the air, avoiding the attack. As he leapt into the air, he spun around, and swung at Ra's head, forcing the older man to roll out of the way. Bruce landed and rushed at Ra's who was now on the ground. He swung his sword down at Ra's but Ra's quickly lifted his sword up and blocked the attack. Growling, Bruce kicked the sword out of Ra's hand, sending it clattering across the frozen ground.

Bringing his sword back up, Bruce swung down again. This time, Ra's reached up and grabbed the blade, holding it between to palms. Bruce looked down at him in surprise, allowing Ra's to roll over and kick Bruce in the chest, wrenching the sword from his hand as he stumbled back. Ra's quickly rolled back to his feet, before flipping the sword around so he held it by the handle.

"That was impressive," Bruce commented as he rose to his feet, "You'll have to teach me that one."

"All in due time," Ra's replied before sliding the other sword back to Bruce.

"Now, let us…" Ra's began to say before he trailed off. He looked around, like he had heard a far off sound and was trying to pinpoint it.

"Sir?" Bruce asked, but Ra's held up his hand to silence him. Slowly, he turned around, looking at a distant snow drift. Nothing moved upon the snow. Then, a large gust of wind kicked up and a cloud of loose snow obscured the sight of the snow bank. The snow cloud slowly drifted away, revealing a man standing where there had been no one before.

He was of Asian descent, with deep brown eyes and long black hair that he had tied back in a long pony tail. He wore a white cloth uniform consisting of a long sleeved turtle neck, with the neck pulled up around his mouth, pants, fingerless gloves and arm guards along with white boots. In addition, he wore a red sash tied around his waist with a sheathed katana tucked in it. A red hand print was drawn on his shirt, directly over his heart.

"Kirigi," Ra's muttered, his eyes narrowing.

Kirigi pulled down the neck of his shirt, revealing a sly smile on his face.

"Ra's al Ghul!" he called over the ice in greeting, "It has been sometime since we last crossed blades! And who is that with you? Is that you Mr. Kane? I had wondered what hole you had crawled into!"

"Mr. Kane?" Ra's asked, raising an eyebrow at Bruce.

"I can't just go around using my real name can I? Not if I want to attract attention to myself," Bruce explained.

"Understandable," Ra's agreed, "So I take it you have run into members of the Hand as well?"

"I have," Bruce replied.

"Then you realize that he's not alone," Ra's commented.

"I suspected," Bruce replied.

Suddenly, the snow drift seemed to explode as a dozen men, dressed similarly to Kirigi, but wearing masks that covered everything except to their eyes, burst out of the snow. They landed on each side of Kirigi before drawing their katanas simultaneously.

"A few more than I expected," Bruce commented.

"Go back to the mansion and alert the others. I will hold them here," Ra's instructed him.

"What? I'm not going to leave you here outnumbered," Bruce protested.

"You're loyalty is inspiring, but I can take care of myself. Now go!" he ordered.

Bruce growled in opposition before turning and running towards the mansion. A smile crossed Kirigi's face as he watched Bruce leave.

"It seems the immortal Ra's al Ghul wishes to test his blade against ours. Let us see how immortal he truly is," Kirigi said to his men as he drew his sword and started running at Ra's, the other ninja's following suit. Ra's in turn calmly slipped into a defensive stance, raising his sword in preparation.

Kirigi reached him first, leaping into the air and bringing his sword down at Ra's head. Ra's quickly raised his sword to defend himself, the two blades connecting with a loud clang, the force causing Ra's to slide backwards. Two ninja's quickly leapt over Kirigi's head and rushed Ra's swinging their swords at him. Ra's knocked away both their blades before quickly slicing at them with his own sword. The two stumbled past as deep slashes opened up in their chests. Blood spurted from their wounds before they collapsed to the ground.

Another ninja quickly rushed Ra's, stabbing at him. Ra's quickly knocked the sword away, before spinning around him and kicking him in the back, sending the ninja stumbling forward. Another leapt up into the air and brought his sword down on Ra's but Ra's easily blocked it. Pushing forward, he sent the ninja stumbling backwards before Ra's quickly kneed him in the stomach. The ninja doubled over, before Ra's uppercutted him with the hilt of his sword, causing the man to throw his head back. As he did, a third ninja rushed at him. Ra's saw him coming and spun around him, swiping at his head as he did.

The ninja stumbled forward, his head falling from his shoulders as his blood colored the white snow red. Ra's quickly spun around again, and stabbed the second ninja in the throat. The ninja gurgled as Ra's pulled his sword back, blood spurting from the man's throat as he fell to the ground. By now the first ninja had recovered and turned around, lifting his sword above his head to strike Ra's down. Ra's in turn, quickly spun his sword around and thrust it backwards, plunging it into the man's guts. He let out a pain filled grunt before Ra's pulled his sword out, allowing him to fall to the ground.

Kirigi and the remaining six ninja's surrounded Ra's, who calmly watched them, blood dripping from his blade. The seven ninja watched him with wary eyes, each itching to see who would move first. Suddenly, Kirigi burst forward, poised to strike. Seeing him, Ra's flicked his sword at him, sending blood flying from the tip of the blade. The blood flew through the air before striking Kirigi in the eyes. He let out a cry of surprise as he slid to his knees and tried to wipe his eyes clear. Ra's raised his sword to strike the man down, but was interrupted as the other ninjas attacked him.

One ninja swung down at him, which Ra's countered by swing his sword at his. Ra's sword met the other man's blade, before the ninja's broke in half. The tip of his blade flew into the air as the ninja looked at his broken sword with wide eyes. As the sword tip fell, Ra's reached up and plucked it from the air before hurling it forward, burying it into another ninjas chest. He quickly whirled back around, slicing the first ninja's head off. Spinning around, he stabbed another charging ninja in the gut, driving his sword up to the hilt and forcing the blade out his back. Lifting up his foot, he kicked the man in the chest while pulling back his sword, sending him stumbling back and collapsing onto another ninja.

The other two ninja attacked while the third tried to untangle himself from his dead comrade. The two ninjas flanked Ra's, swinging their swords wildly at him. Ra's skillfully blocked each of their blows, the sound of metal against metal echoing across the frozen lake.

One of the ninja's swung at him, but Ra's dodged it before slicing off the ninja's sword hand. As the man grabbed the bloody stump where his hand used to be, Ra's grabbed his sword out of the air before whirling around and slashing the other ninja across the chest, sending him spinning to the ground. Whirling around again, he stabbed the injured man, keeping the sword in him as the ninja fell to the ground.

By now, the final ninja had managed to pick himself up. Ra's ran at him, holding his sword to his side. Before the ninja could react, Ra's was upon him. He swung his sword as he slid to one knee, sending him sliding across the ice past the ninja. The ninja stood in place for a few moments, before letting out a strangled cough and falling to the ground. Ra's glanced over his shoulder, smiling in satisfaction.

Suddenly, Kirigi ran up and slashed at Ra's. Ra's quickly blocked the attack, but Kirigi kicked him in the chest, sending him rolling across the ice. He quickly pushed himself back to his feet just as Kirigi rushed him. Ra's blocked his next attack, before pushing him backwards.

Kirigi regained his balance and the two faced off against each other, holding a sword in a ready position. The wind howled and swirled around them, kicking up more snow.

"I'll have your head this time, old man," Kirigi mocked as the two circled each other.

"Not likely, boy," Ra's replied, his glare steely and cold.

The two ran at each other while swinging their swords, the blades meeting with a loud clang.

_Meanwhile_

Bruce ran across the snowy mountainside, his ki training allowing him to run across the snow while barely sinking in. Running over a small slope, the mansion came into view. Seeing it gave him new vigor and he picked up his pace. Suddenly, as he drew closer, the snow seemed to explode around him as two Hand ninja's burst from the snow. Bruce was forced to roll forward in order to avoid their attacks. He rolled a few feet through the snow before he managed to regain his footing. Drawing his sword, he turned around and readied himself for the two ninjas that were barreling down on him.

One ninja leapt into the air and swung his sword down at Bruce, who managed to block it with his own. Pushing on it, he managed to turn the other man's blade away and pushed him to the side. He quickly pulled his sword back, giving him just enough time to block the other ninja's attack. Bruce kneed him in the chest before hitting him across the face with the handle of his sword, sending him sprawling into the snow.

Spinning around, he blocked the first ninja's attack again, before pushing him backwards. Bruce went on the offensive, the swords clanging together have a dozen times. After another strike, Bruce put his weight against the sword, drawing his face closer to the other man's, feeling his hot breath against his face.

Turning his blade, he spun the man's sword around before knocking it out of the man's hands. He pushed the ninja in the chest, causing him to stumble backwards, before Bruce spun around and kicked him in the stomach, knocking the ninja off his feet and sending him tumbling down the mountainside. The man fell end over end, towards a cliff near where the mountainside became a sheer cliff. Bruce could only watch helplessly as the man tumbled down the mountain before flying over the edge with a scream that echoed up the mountain.

Bruce stared at where the man had been moments before, realizing he had just killed the ninja. Before he could fully process it though, the other ninja ran at him from behind, slashing at Bruce. Bruce managed to dodge mostly, but the ninja's sword cut into his arm. Bruce's hand went to the wound as he turned to face the ninja.

The man ran at him again, looking to run him through with his blade. Bruce deflected the attack before punching the man in the face. The man stumbled away, but quickly whirled around and threw a kick at Bruce, hitting him hard in the head. The blow sent Bruce flipping to the ground as his sword slid from his hands. Bruce rolled onto his back as the ninja ran up to him and slashed at him with his sword. He quickly rolled out of the way. The ninja tried again forcing Bruce to roll to the other side. The ninja raised his sword to strike a third time, but Bruce took the time to kick him in the chest, sending the man stumbling backward.

As the ninja recovered, Bruce crawled across the snow to his sword. Just as he wrapped his hand around the hilt, he heard the ninja running at him through the snow. Turning around, Bruce thrust forward just as the ninja reached him. The blade plunged into the ninja's chest, stopping him in his tracks. Bruce looked up at the man in horror, unable to take his eyes away from where his sword stuck in the man's chest. Blood slowly dripped down the metal, as the man let out a chocked cough. Looking the man in the eyes, he saw fear and pain in them before they seemed to dim and his body went slack.

Bruce quickly pushed the ninja off, leaving his sword in him as he pushed him away. Standing up, he looked down at the body as the blood slowly dripped out of the wound. As Bruce watched, he suddenly flashed back to the night of his parents' murder. The ninja was replaced with his father, his lifeless body lying at his feet with blood seeping from his bullet wounds. A shiver ran up Bruce's spine before he quickly shook his head, dispelling the image.

Bruce slowly backed away from the corpse, a nauseous feeling in his stomach as his hands shook uncontrollably. Taking a few deep calming breaths, he managed to gain control of himself, though his hands continued to shake. Remembering time was of the essence, he turned from the corpse and hurried down the mountain towards the mansion.

As he ran, a lone figure watched him from higher up the mountainside. It was a woman, with long, wild, black hair. She wore a green kimono with the skirt cut off at mid-thigh and sleeves that went past her hands. She wore tight black shorts under the kimono along with knee high, black boots and black fingerless gloves. She wore a white, fur lined cloak around her shoulders to protect her from the cold. Her most striking feature was the white mask she wore over her face. It resembled a cat's face, sporting an unnervingly large grin, with a red stripe running over each cheek. Two large black eye holes sat where the cat's eyes would be, allowing her to see.

"Well," she said with a sultry voice, "Looks like I have someone to play with."

_Meanwhile_

The sounds of metal clanging against metal echoed across the frozen lake. Ra's and Kirigi were locked in combat, each of them covered in wounds from the other's blade. They rushed at each other again, Kirigi slicing at Ra's midsection. Ra's ducked beneath it, swinging at Kirigi's legs as he slid along the frozen ground. Kirigi quickly leapt over the blade, turning midair as he did. As he landed, he slashed at Ra's back, but Ra's quickly held his sword behind him, blocking the attack. Ra's quickly spun to his feet as he slashed at Kirigi's midsection, but Kirgi blocked this attack as well.

The two pushed against each other, their swords locked together. Kirigi's knee shot out and buried itself in Ra's stomach. Kirigi followed up by striking Ra's in the face with the handle of his sword. The blow sent Ra's sprawling across the ice, rolling him onto his back. Kirigi quickly rushed him, swinging his sword down at him, but Ra's managed to block it, stopping the blade a few inches from his throat.

"It's over old man," Kirigi snarled, "I've won!"

"You haven't won at all. You clearly haven't learned to mind your surroundings," he replied, causing Kirigi to raise a questioning eyebrow, "You've given up sure footing for a killing blow."

Ra's then quickly reached his hand out and slammed it against the ice beneath Kirigi's feet. The snow spread out from the force of the blow as the air rippled. Then, cracks formed rapidly across the ice. Before Kirigi could react, the ice gave way, sending him plummeting in as Ra's rolled out of the way. The ice continued to break before it stopped, leaving a large hole a few feet across.

Ra's picked himself up and looked down at the water for a few moments. Satisfied that Kirigi was gone, he turned from the hole and rushed off in the direction Bruce had gone in. The wind swept across the frozen surface, picking up snow as it went. Suddenly, a hand reached out of the water, grasping the side of the ice. Kirigi managed to pull himself out of the water, shivering and grasping for air. He rolled onto the surface of the ice, as he caught his breath.

"You win this round, old man," Kirigi coughed, before he pushed himself to his feet and hurried off.

_Later_

The mansion of the League of Shadows was alive with the din of combat. Black and white clad ninja clashed throughout its halls and rooms while the dead littered the ground. Bruce hurried through the halls, fighting any members of the Hand he came across while looking for people to help.

As he ran, a wall exploded out into the hall, sending a Hand ninja tumbling into view. Seconds later, Sensei stepped into the hallway, seemingly uninterested in the chaos happening around him.

"Sensei!" Bruce called, getting the old man's attention.

"Ah, my young student," Sensei greeted, "I was wondering if I was going to find you cowering in a corner somewhere. I am pleased to be wrong."

Bruce was about to respond to the backhanded compliment when he saw a Hand ninja drop in behind Sensei.

"Sensei, look-" he began to shout a warning but was stopped when the Sensei lashed out without looking. He struck the ninja hard in the chest with his open palm, stopping the man in his tracks. He then pulled his hand back before striking the man's chest in strategic places with just his fingers. The man let out a strangled cough as blood began to seep out of his eyes. Putting his hand against the man's chest, he pushed gently on it, causing the man to fall to the ground, dead.

Bruce looked at the body with a shocked look, before his gaze turned back to the Sensei.

"You were saying something?" Sensei asked with an impassive expression.

"Nothing Sensei," Bruce replied, still glancing at the dead man in front of him.

"Good, then I suggest you find your own fights. We have to repel these interlopers," Sensei ordered him.

Bruce nodded before rushing down the hall, the Sensei walking calmly in the opposite direction.

Bruce turned a corner and nearly ran into a group of four Hand ninja. They all noticed him as he ran around the corner, turning to attack him. Suddenly, a small figure leapt into view over their heads and landed on the ninja closest to Bruce. Standing up, Bruce realized that it was the little girl they had been keeping here.

She looked away from the groaning man and up at Bruce. A surprised look crossed her face, before a small smile appeared.

"Bru…ce," she mumbled. Bruce smiled at her greeting. Suddenly, he saw one of the ninjas move to kick her in the back of the head. Leaping forward, he grabbed the man's leg, stopping his attack. Before the man could move, Bruce kicked his other leg, knocking it out from under him and sending the man falling to the ground. He held the man's leg as he lay on the ground, before gripping the man's foot with both hands and twisting it. The man let out a scream of pain as Bruce let go of his broken ankle.

He then quickly turned to the third ninja, who was moving to attack him. He thrust his fist into his stomach, causing the man to double over. Bruce quickly followed by kneeing him in the face. He stumbled back as blood seeped from his nose, while Bruce grabbed his head and smashed it against the wall, knocking him out.

As Bruce took the ninja down, the fourth moved to kill him, drawing a knife to stab him in the back. The girl leapt forward to defend him, kicking the man in the stomach. As he doubled over, she landed in front of him and chopped both sides of his neck simultaneously. He let out a strangled cough as he fell to his knees, blood flooding his throat and lungs. She looked down at him, catching her breath, before a horrified look crossed her face. As the man gagged on his last breath, her body went rigid, her eyes focused on the man. His body slumped to the floor, unmoving, but she continued to stare.

Bruce watched her for a few moments before he walked up to the girl. He placed a hand on her shoulder and suddenly it heaved as she began to cry. Tears leaked down her face as she clearly fought to contain her emotions. Bruce slowly turned her to face him, though she stared at her feet.

"Hey," he said, cupping her chin and turning her head to look at him, "Hey. It's okay."

She continued to stare at him, her dark eyes filled with tears. Even though she had opened up to him during their secret meetings, she still barely knew how to talk at all. He had to show her it was alright. Placing both hands on her shoulders, he pulled her into a hug, holding her tight against his chest. At first, she went stock still, clearly confused and surprised. After a few moments, she uneasily hugged him back, before she began to cry openly, burying her head into his shoulder as she wept.

Bruce held her for a few moments before an explosion sounded off in the distance, pulling Bruce back to reality. Gently prying her away from him, he looked straight into her eyes, which were now red from crying.

"Hide," he said, hoping that she would understand him, "Go!"

She stared at him for a few moments, before she slowly nodded and ran off. Bruce watched her go, before another explosion caught his attention. He quickly ran off in the direction the sound had come from, hoping to find the source. He eventually came to one of the hallways leading to the second floor of the main room. Hurrying towards it, he saw a figure get flung past the entrance way just as he reached it. Turning to look, he recognized the person immediately.

"Talia!" he shouted, running to her side. She lay on the floor groaning in pain, a few bruises covering her body as her twin daggers lay at her side.

"Bruce?" she asked looking up at him. Her eyes quickly looked behind him before they widened with fear, "Look out!"

Bruce turned around and saw two objects whizzing through the air at him. He quickly leaned back, avoiding the first one before he straightened up, reached out and caught the second. In his hand he held a kunai knife, the point dangerously close to his eye. Lowering his hand, he looked at the person who had thrown it, a woman in a cat-like mask.

"Nice catch," she complimented him.

"Who are you?" Bruce demanded.

"What? Nameless Grunt number 257 won't do?" she joked. Bruce glared at her in reply.

"Alright then. I must say, names don't really mean much to me. If you need one though, well the first and last thing people ever see of me is my smile, so I guess you can just call me Cheshire."

"So where were we?" Cheshire asked, before a kunai slid into her hand from under her sleeve. She rushed towards him, running low to the ground. She slashed at his throat, forcing Bruce block it with the knife in his hand. Cheshire followed up with a thrust to his chest, which Bruce blocked by grabbing her wrist. She hissed with pain as he twisted it, causing it to go flying from her hand. He quickly let go of her, grabbed it and slashed at her face. The blow knocked her head to the side, but only left a slight scratch on her mask.

"Not bad," she said as she looked back at him, "But you'll have to do better."

Bruce moved to slash her again, but she grabbed his hand. Stepping forward, she placed one foot on his chest before kicking him on the chin. The blow sent him stumbling back as she back flipped through the air. Landing, she flicked her wrists outward, causing half a dozen needles to slide out of her sleeves and into her hands. She hurled them at Bruce with deadly precision, each flying towards a vital part of his body. Bruce reacted with lightning swiftness, using the two knives to block each of the needles, sending them clattering to the ground.

Bruce quickly followed up by hurling the two knives at Cheshire. She reacted with equal quickness by catching them and quickly sliding them back up her sleeves. Bruce followed his attack by rushing at Cheshire. Leaping into the air, he threw a punch at her, which she dodged by leaning to the side. This allowed her to get inside his guard, slapping him in the chest with back of her hand. She moved to chop him on the neck, but he caught her hand and followed it with a punch to her face. He winced in pain at the impressive hardness of her mask, but the blow sent her stumbling back.

Bruce followed with a kick to her midsection, but Cheshire was quick enough to catch it before she flipped him upwards sending Bruce falling onto his back. However Bruce quickly recovered by doing a kip-up and hopped back to his feet.

Cheshire spun around and threw a kick at his head but he batted it aside before throwing a punch at her. She dodged the blow and grabbed his wrist, yanking him forward while driving a knee into his face. As he stumbled backwards, she hopped up and kicked him twice in the chest, once with each foot, before she landed, kneeling while looking away from him.

As Bruce stumbled backwards, Talia leapt over him, her daggers in hand. She raised one hand and brought one of her knives down towards Cheshire's exposed back. Whirling around, Cheshire blocked Talia's attack with a pair of long, metallic claws. Talia looked at her with surprise, allowing Cheshire to kick her away.

"What's the matter?" Cheshire asked, "Surprised the cat has claws?"

Bruce walked up besides Talia, settling into a fighting stance. They both looked at each other and nodded before they ran at Cheshire at the same time. Talia reached her first, moving to stab her in the chest. As Cheshire moved to block, Talia instead leapt into the air, flying over Cheshire's head. Cheshire watched as she flew over her head, distracting her enough for Bruce to run up and kick her in the chest. The blow sent her stumbling back, allowing Talia to elbow her in the back. Cheshire let out a cry of pain as Talia spun around her and thrust a knife at her neck.

Cheshire blocked the attack, before kicking Talia in the side, sending her stumbling into the railing, stopping her from falling to the floor below. Talia turned around, just in time to see Cheshire thrusting one of her claws at her chest. Just before it hit her however, Bruce reached out with his hand, stopping the attack as the blades pierced through his palm. Bruce cried out in pain as the wound started to seep blood.

Talia and Cheshire both looked at Bruce in surprise. Cheshire tried to pull her weapon back, but Bruce held on to the weapon, holding it in place. Talia took the opportunity to kick Cheshire in the back of the knee, sending her falling to her knees. Talia followed up with a kick to the stomach and then a kick to her face.

Growling in frustration, Cheshire pulled back hard on her weapon, yanking the weapon out of Bruce's hand. Bruce growled in pain as Cheshire rolled to her feet. Cheshire quickly ran at Bruce, thrusting at his chest with her claws. Bruce leaned to the side, before grabbing her arm and throwing her past him, sending her tumbling over the railing to the floor below. Cheshire skillfully flipped around and landed perfectly on her feet. Both Bruce and Talia quickly vaulted over the railing after her.

Talia immediately went on the attack, slashing at Cheshire with her knives, forcing her back as Cheshire blocked the attack. Blocking an attack, Cheshire kicked Talia in the chest, sending her stumbling backward. Bruce quickly ran forward, leaping into the air and throwing a flying kick at Cheshire. Cheshire quickly back flipped out of the way, landing on one of the poles in the pit in the middle of the room. Talia and Bruce quickly hopped into the pit as well, hopping along the poles towards Cheshire.

As Bruce got close, Cheshire slashed at the pole he was about to step on, cutting the first few feet off the top. Undeterred, Bruce leapt onto the flying piece, before quickly hopping off of it as it fell through the air. Cheshire could only watch in amazement as Bruce flew through the air, his arms spread out behind him like wings. He thrust a foot forward at her, kicking her square in the chest. The blow was powerful enough to lift Cheshire off her feet and send her flying through the air, landing outside of the pit on the hard wooden ground, while Bruce landed nimbly on the pole she had just been standing on.

Talia quickly jumped after Cheshire as the assassin rolled back to her feet. As she prepared to attack Talia, she noticed that they weren't alone anymore. All along the second floor where black garbed League ninjas, each with their sword drawn, looking down at her.

"Looks like this little attack didn't work out like we hoped," Cheshire observed, completely calm, "Not that I'm surprised."

"Surrender," Talia ordered her, "There's no way out!"

Cheshire looked around, before letting out a long sigh.

"Well," she said as she dropped her claws, "If you insist."

Cheshire slowly raised her clenched hands to head level.

"I surrender," she said as she opened her palms. As she did, a half a dozen black pellets fell out. As they struck the ground, the exploded into clouds of thick black smoke. Talia quickly covered her mouth as the black smoke washed over her. After a few moments, the smoke cleared and Cheshire was nowhere to be seen.

"Damn," Talia whispered, as the League ninja's looked around in confusion.

_Later_

Night had fallen over the mansion, the moon shining brightly down on it. Repairs had begun immediately after the Hand had been driven off, though the large number of injuries and deaths was slowing it down.

Bruce winced as he sat on his bed, Talia sitting next to him. She was carefully wrapping a bandage around his wounded hand. As she wrapped he bandage around again, Bruce let out another wince of pain.

"Are you alright?" Talia asked, concerned.

"I'll be fine," Bruce replied, "It's already healing well. Thanks to Ojo…and you."

"Please, I did nothing," Talia replied with a smile, slapping Bruce playfully on the shoulder, causing him to laugh. As his laughter died down, Talia noticed a far away look in his eyes.

"Are you okay, Bruce?" she asked.

"I was just thinking about the battle today," he replied.

"Did something happen to trouble you?" she questioned.

"I…I killed two men today, Talia," Bruce replied.

"That's nothing to be ashamed of Bruce," Talia comforted him, placing a hand on his arm, "You were no doubt defending yourself. We all were."

"I know that," Bruce replied, "I know that. It's just, one of those men died right in front of me. I watch the life leave his body. I still see it when I close my eyes."

"I can't do this," Bruce said quietly.

"Can't do what?" she asked.

"This. Kill for the League," Bruce explained.

"What makes you think we'd make you do that, Bruce?" Talia asked, slightly worried.

"Don't try to kid me, Talia. I know what this organization is," he answered, causing Talia to look away from him, "I know your father kills people to get what he wants. He may have the world's interest at heart, but I see now our idea of justice is completely different. In the end he's no better than the crime lords he's been warring with. Why else would the Hand attack the mansion?"

"What are you going to do?" Talia asked.

"As much as I want to, I can't stop him from here. I need to get away. Escape. Take the girl with me," Bruce explained.

"The girl?" Talia asked.

"She's no prisoner, Talia. I've known that from the beginning. Your father is training her to be some sort of weapon. I can't let him do that," Bruce explained.

"How long have you been planning this?" Talia asked.

"I haven't trusted your father since I met him. You didn't think I found him tracking me to a remote prison was a little strange?" Bruce questioned, "I haven't planned on betraying him for long though. I thought I could see what he sees, be willing to make the sacrifices for the greater good, but I can't. I know he's wrong, and despite everything he's done for me, I know I can't let him do it."

"Why are you telling me all this then?" Talia questioned.

"I've…grown to trust you Talia," he replied "From my first day here I could tell you were different. When you told me the lie about the girl, I could tell you didn't agree with it."

"I…I didn't. I don't agree with a lot Father has done. I've stayed out of love for him, but now. I'm not sure anymore. There's so much…so much that you don't even know about," she replied.

"Like what?" Bruce asked.

"I can't tell you. Not here," she replied, shaking her head, "But you should know that he had plans for you Bruce and with this Hand attack, his plans have probably only been accelerated."

"I suppose that means ours have as well," Bruce said thoughtfully.

"Ours?" Talia asked.

"Talia. I had hoped that you…would come with me" Bruce admitted.

"That's why you're telling me all this?" Talia asked.

"Yes," Bruce answered.

"That's not all is it though?" she asked, as she stood up and walked over to Bruce, pushing herself against him.

"What do you mean?" Bruce asked.

"You know what I mean," Talia replied, placing a hand against Bruce's chest, "I'm sure you noticed to my reaction when I walked in on you that first day. Since the time you came here though, I've learned there's more to you than just a pretty face. What I see now is this. Your good and noble heart."

Bruce reached down and cupped her chin, turning her head to look at his smiling face.

"I will come with you," she whispered to him as she brought her hand up to his head, running her hands through his hair, "But tonight you will stay with me."

Standing on her toes, she kissed him. Bruce eagerly returned the kiss, cupping her face with both hands. Talia wrapped her arms around his neck as she pulled him backwards. Her legs hit the back of the bed and she tumbled into it, Bruce falling with her. They both laughed as they fell before Talia silenced him with another kiss. Soon the room was filled with the sounds of passion as the moon watched silently overhead.

A/N: Well this chapter went on longer than I expected both in its length and how long it took me to write it. Still, a lot of important things happened here, and I hope you liked it. I really liked writing it, so I hope you enjoyed it too! Please review! Later True Believers!


	11. Great Escape: Part 1

**Chapter 11: Great Escape: Part 1**

_Each life makes its own immitation of immortality._

-Stephen King

_November 14__th__, 2011_

Bruce walked into the main hall of the mansion, entering the area where Ra's throne was. Flanking him were the Sensei and Ubu, who watched him impassively as Bruce entered.

"Good morning, Bruce," Ra's greeted him.

"Good morning, sir," Bruce replied, "You wanted to see me?"

"Yes, we have important matters to discuss," Ra's explained, "How are your wounds healing?"

"Well," Bruce said, flexing his bandaged hand.

"That is good. Now to get to the matter at hand," Ra's said as he stood up, "As you no doubt know, the attack by the Hand yesterday caught us completely by surprise. Now that they know of our base's location, we will be forced to move it and accelerate our plans."

"Our plans?" Bruce asked.

"You have no doubt wondered why we put so much time and effort into finding and training you, Bruce," Ra's stated, "While you are incredibly skilled and talented, there is another reason we sought you out."

"What reason is that?" Bruce asked.

"You are Gotham's favorite son," the Sensei spoke up.

"What do you mean?" Bruce questioned.

"Ever since the dawn of civilization, the League has been present to root out the worst of the crime and corruption in human society," Ra's explained, "Whenever a civilization reaches the height of its decadence, we are there to purge it like the cancer it is."

Standing from his throne, he looked Bruce straight in the eye.

"Gotham has become that cancer," Ra's said solemnly.

"What do you mean?" Bruce asked, a feeling of dread rising up in his chest.

"Gotham must be destroyed," Sensei answered simply.

"And who better to be at the fore front of it all then Bruce Wayne, the Prince of Gotham?" Ra's asked, gesturing towards Bruce, "No one would suspect you of causing their downfall."

"You want me to destroy Gotham?" Bruce asked, shocked.

"Of course, what did you think we were training you for?" Ra's asked as he sat back down.

"And if I refuse?" Bruce asked.

"Why would you do a thing like that?" Ra's questioned, his eyes narrowing.

"Gotham can still be saved," Bruce replied glaring back.

"Gotham is a cesspool of crime and corruption," Ra's shot back, an angry tone rising in his voice, "You of all people should know that."

"And what about the innocent people still living there?" Bruce asked, anger in his voice as well.

"Sacrifices must be made," Ra's said simply.

"No," Bruce replied, his voice icy cold, "I won't do it."

"I had hoped you would have grown out of this naiveté," Ra's said with a sigh.

"I'll never grow out of wanting to save people," Bruce growled.

"Very well," Ra's sighed, disappointment in his voice, "I'm sorry it had to be this way, Bruce."

Suddenly, the Sensei leapt forward, thrusting a palm into Bruce's chest before he could react. The blow seemed to ripple through Bruce's entire body. He felt almost frozen in place as he let out a strangled cough and fell to his knees.

"Still as slow as ever, my student," Sensei sneered before delivering a sharp chop to the back of his neck, knocking Bruce out.

_Later_

Bruce woke with a groan as he slowly opened his eyes. Wincing, he rubbed the back of his head as he sat up on his cot. Looking around, he saw he was in his room, though he wasn't alone. Two League ninjas stood flanking his door, watching him carefully. He could also make out the silhouettes of two more in the hallway. Sitting up in his bed, he noticed the two of them go immediately tense.

As he sat watching them, he heard someone walking down the hallway towards his room.

"I need to see the prisoner," he heard Talia say from the other side of the door.

"I'm sorry, ma'am," one of the guard's apologized, "Your father said no one was allowed to see him."

"I see," she replied. There was a pregnant pause before the sound of twin thuds and grunts wafted into the room. The two guards immediately turned to go out into the hall. Bruce leapt to his feet and grabbed the two guards' heads before slamming them together, knocking them out. After the two men collapsed, Bruce slid the door open, finding Talia waiting on the other side.

"Hey," he greeted her, smirking lightly.

"Fancy meeting you here," Talia returned his greeting, "We don't have much time. I know the best way out of here, but we have to hurry."

"We need to get the girl," Bruce reminded her, "and now that your father has told me his intentions, we need a way to throw a wrench into his operation."

"All right," Talia said after thinking for a moment, "I'll go do some sabotaging, you go get the girl. Meet me in the main chamber in five minutes."

Bruce nodded in agreement with her plan. Talia quickly reached up and kissed Bruce before rushing down the hall. Bruce watched him go, before turning and hurrying away. After a few minutes of running, he came to the section of the mansion where the girl was held. Sneaking along the hallway, he came to her room, which he found unguarded.

Sliding open the door, he peaked in. The girl was sitting in the center, staring at the wall in a sort of dazed trance. Upon him entering though, she snapped out of it. Looking at him, a smile crept across her face.

"Br…" she began but Bruce held his finger to his lips to silence her. The girl nodded in understanding. Bruce beckoned her forward, causing her to rise to her feet and start walking over towards him. Suddenly, a few feet away from him, she went stock still as her eyes widened in fright. Bruce looked at her in confusion before he suddenly felt a presence behind him.

"I've been waiting a long time for this, Wayne," he heard a familiar voice say from behind him.

Bruce quickly rolled forward as David Cain drove his fist into the floor where he had been standing moments before. Turning around as he faced Cain as the other man moved into a fighting position.

"I never understood why Ra's felt the need to bring in a pretty boy like you. You think you're good enough to be one of us just because you were born with a silver spoon in your mouth and then someone shot your mommy and daddy?" Cain asked.

He punctuated his sentence by throwing a kick at Bruce's head. Bruce ducked below the attack and was forced to block as Cain spun around to deliver a roundhouse kick. Bruce pushed Cain's leg away, but was quickly floored when Cain swung back around and swept Bruce's legs out from under him.

"And now even when we did take your miserable ass in, this is how your repay us? Spit in the face of everything we stand for, then have the audacity to try to steal my own daughter from me!" Cain roared as he slammed his foot against Bruce's stomach.

"Daughter?" Bruce wheezed as he pushed the foot off of him, forcing Cain to stumble backwards as Bruce leapt to his feet.

"Yes. Daughter. She's daddy's little girl. I've been training her since day one to make her the ultimate weapon. And I'm not going to let you just take it all away because she batted her eyes at you!" Cain roared as he drew his knife. He swung it at Bruce, but he quickly ducked the attack. Cain swung the knife back around, but Bruce blocked the attack, grabbing Cain's bicep and wrist. Twisting Cain's hand, he forced him to drop the knife. Bruce quickly followed up by hooking his leg behind his Cain's before throwing him to the ground while still holding his arm. As Cain was stunned, Bruce quickly forced Cain's arm against his own throat before placing his foot against the arm, applying pressure and freeing up his hand.

"You would do this to your own daughter!" Bruce shouted, glaring down at Cain, "What kind of father are you!"

"What would you know about being a father?" Cain asked.

"Apparently, more then you," Bruce growled back before punching Cain hard in the face, knocking him out.

Breathing heavily, Bruce slowly stood up, looming over the unconscious Cain. Looking over, he saw the girl still standing where she had been when the fight started, her eyes locked onto her fathers. Slowly, Bruce extended his hand to her. Her eyes shifted to look at his hand, before moving to his face and then back to his hand. She nervously raised her own hand before taking Bruce's. Bruce smiled at her before leading her out of her room, leaving Cain behind.

Bruce hurried through the hallways of the mansion, practically dragging the young girl behind him. They eventually reached a doorway leading into the main chamber of the building. Pushing himself against the corner, he looked into the room, finding it completely empty. Suddenly, the sound of a small whistle echoed across the room. Turning towards the source, he saw Talia hiding behind a wall on the floor below them. She signaled for them to come to her. Nodding, Bruce moved silently through the room, leading the little girl behind him.

"I see you got the girl," Talia commented.

"Not without some trouble," Bruce replied, "How did you do?"

"I've set up some explosives in strategic places." Talia explained, "They should cripple my father's plans. They should go off in a few minutes so we have to hurry."

"Alright, what's next then?" Bruce asked.

"Follow me," Talia replied before she made her way across the room, Bruce and the girl trailing behind her. Eventually, they came to a stop in front of a wall in the corner of the room.

"What are we doing?" Bruce asked.

Talia shushed him before reaching up and running her hand along the wall. Eventually, she stopped, before pushing on a section of the wall. There was a soft clicking sound, before a section of the wall opened up, revealing a passageway leading down into the mountain.

"Come," she said gesturing for them to follow her as she entered it. They walked through the narrow passageway, leading them further and further into the mountain. There was no light source in the tunnel, forcing Bruce to feel along the wall as he went. He could feel the girl gripping his shirt as they made their way through the complete darkness. After a few minutes of walking, Bruce could see a light emerging in front of them. Soon enough, they came to a stone doorway leading into a large chamber.

The chamber was a large cave, with stalactites hanging from the ceiling. A winding path had been carved into the rock walls, leading down to the floor below. Dominating the chamber though, was a pool sitting in the middle of it. It was full of a green, bubbling liquid, from which noxious fumes rose. The liquid glowed with an eerie green light that seemed to be emitted by the liquid itself.

Standing around the pool were a number of the League ninjas. Standing at the edge of the pool was Ojo, flanked by Elektra and Bronze Tiger, who were on their knees with their hands bound behind them. The ninjas were chanting in low voices as Ojo grabbed the back of both of their heads. Before they could react, he forced their heads beneath the surface of the pool. They struggled against his grip for a few moments as bubbles surged around their heads. After a few moments, they went still before Ojo yanked their heads out of the pool. They gasped for air as they fell to the ground. Ojo ignored their distress, merely leaning over them to whisper something into their ears.

"What's he doing?" Bruce whispered, "What's happening?"

"Their being…brainwashed," Talia replied, shame in her voice.

"Brainwashed?" Bruce asked, shocked.

"Yes," she replied, "The liquids of the pit affect the mind, make one susceptible to persuasion if they are under for too long."

"So your father is brainwashing his soldiers?" Bruce asked.

"Only some of them," Talia explained, "Not everyone agrees with him as much as he'd like."

"He was going to do this to me, wasn't he?" Bruce asked, looking at Talia. Talia nodded sadly in response.

"Is there any way we can help them?" Bruce questioned, looking at Elektra and Tiger, who were being helped back to their feet.

"Not here," Talia replied, "Not now."

Bruce sighed and was about to say something else when he saw the League members heading for the pathway leading to the door.

"They're coming!" he whispered harshly.

"Along here," Talia said as she shuffled onto a ledge just off of the carved path. The others followed and moved along it until they were just out of sight, pushing themselves against the wall. They each held their breath as the procession moved past them. After a few agonizing seconds, the League members were gone, disappearing into the tunnel. Bruce and the others slowly made their way back to the path before making their way down to the floor below.

As they reached the bottom, Bruce looked at the pool, walking up to its edge.

"There's a path over here," Talia said, indicating to a part of the chamber hidden in shadow, "It's an emergency exit. It leads all the way down to the base of the mountain."

Bruce said nothing as he stared into the green liquid of the pool.

"Bruce, we have to go!" Talia shouted urgently.

"What is it?" Bruce asked, a confused look on his face.

"It is called the Lazarus Pit," a voice said from the shadows. Whirling around, Bruce saw Ra's walk into view, flanked by Ubu and the Sensei, "And it is the secret to my success."

"Why?" Bruce demanded, anger flowing into his words, "Because it lets you brainwash people to do your bidding."

"No Bruce," he replied, a stern look on his face, "It gives me immortality. It has let me live for over two thousand years."

Bruce was stunned into silence, unable to think of how to respond.

"Now," Ra's said as he drew his sword, "I think you have seen quite enough"

A/N: Haha! Cliff hanger! Kind of. I mean you all know a fight scene is about to break out so it's not like I'm really holding out on you. Anyway, not much to say about this chapter. I came up with this new function for the Lazarus Pits while trying to think of how Elektra would be part of the League. It's not the last time it will come up though. Anyway, hope you guys liked this chapter. Please review! Later True Believers!


	12. The Great Escape: Part 2

**Chapter 12: The Great Escape: Part 2**

_For love is immortality_

-Emily Dickinson

"Are you serious?" Bruce asked, perplexed, "Do you really expect me to believe that?"

"It is the truth, whether you choose to believe it or not," Ra's replied, "I would think after everything you've seen, you would be a bit more open minded. In the end, like I said, it really doesn't matter if you believe it."

He turned to the Sensei.

"Take Mr. Wayne back to his room," he ordered. The Sensei smiled as he approached Bruce. Bruce quickly slid into a defensive position, preparing for Sensei's lightning fast attack. Instead, as Sensei was about to attack, the girl leapt forward, kicking him in his side. The attack caught the older man off guard, causing him to stumble a few feet away. Straightening up, the Sensei brushed himself off as he turned to face the girl with a smile.

"So," he chuckled, "Cain's little weapon wants to test itself against me. Very well, I will try not to break you. I make no promises though."

Still smiling, he rushed her, shoving a palm into her chest, sending her rolling away.

"No!" Bruce yelled as he moved to help. He was blocked though as Ubu stepped into his path. The larger man growled at him as he lifted one of his massive fists to strike him, but was stopped as Talia leapt on him, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him to the ground.

"It seems what they say is true," Ra's sighed, as he drew his sword "If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself."

Ra's leapt into the air, swinging his sword down at Bruce as he fell to the ground. Bruce quickly rolled out of the way, causing Ra's sword to clang against the stone. Turning, Ra's swung again, but Bruce managed to duck the attack. Ra's quickly followed up with a thrust, but Bruce spun out of the way, kicking at the sword as he did. His foot connected solidly with the blade, sending it clattering across the hard ground.

Turning to Ra's he threw a fist at the older man's face, connecting solidly with his jaw. Ra' stumbled backwards, allowing Bruce to run up and drive a knee into his stomach. As Ra's doubled over, Bruce punched him in the face again, sending Ra's falling onto his back.

Lifting his foot up, Bruce brought it down on Ra's stomach, but was stopped as Ra's grabbed his foot. Twisting it to the side, Ra's forced Bruce to fall to the ground on his stomach. Quickly rolling to his feet, Ra's wrapped his arms around Bruce's leg, preparing to break it. Before he could, Bruce twisted himself onto his back and kicked Ra's in the side of the head with his free foot. Bruce then pulled his other leg free before kicking Ra's in the chest with both feet, sending him stumbling away.

On the other side of the cave, the girl back flipped through the air as the Sensei lashed out at her again. Rushing her, he chopped at her neck, but she quickly ducked underneath his attack. Sliding to her knees, she quickly punched Sensei twice in the stomach before following up with a palm to the chest that sent him stumbling away. Hopping back to her feet, she raced towards him before throwing a punch at his face. Sensei easily blocked it, grabbing her fist without even looking at her.

"Impressive," he sneered as he looked at her, "You can read my body movements. You have inherited your mother's gift, it would seem."

The girl didn't respond, instead focusing on pulling from the Sensei's grip. She threw a high kick at him, aiming to hit him in the head. Instead, Sensei easily caught this attack as well, holding it in place.

"You can't understand me can you?" Sensei asked. Receiving no answer from the girl, he laughed before heaving her off the ground and spinning her about by her arm and leg. Letting her go, he sent the girl tumbling across the ground, where she rolled to a stop a few feet away.

Talia danced around as Ubu threw his jabs and punches at her. Back flipping over a punch, she quickly hopped forward and drove her knee into his gut. As he doubled over, she kicked him in the face, thrusting her leg straight up into the air as she did so. Quickly moving into a handstand, she kicked him in the face with her other leg. Bending her arms, she pushed off the ground and drove both of her feet into Ubu's stomach. The blow knocked the larger man clear off his feet and onto his back while she landed on his chest.

"I'm sorry it had to be this way, Ubu," she apologized as she looked down at him, "I never wanted to hurt you."

"That is where we disagree," Ubu replied darkly, before his hand shot out, grabbing Talia by the hair. She let out a cry of pain as Ubu yanked her off his chest before throwing her to the ground.

"I will make you pay for betraying your father," Ubu growled as he stalked over to where she lay.

Bruce stumbled backwards as Ra's struck him hard across the face with his fist. He managed to catch his footing before falling into the bubbling liquid of the Lazarus Pit. Pressing his advantage, Ra's charged him and threw another punch. Bruce managed to duck this one, before punching Ra's in the stomach and then followed it up with a blow to the face. Bruce moved to punch him again, but Ra's caught his fist. Throwing a punch of his own, Ra's was stopped when Bruce caught his fist.

The two struggled against each other, each trying to gain the upper hand. Suddenly, Bruce dipped low and pulled Ra's forward, knocking Ra's off balance. Turning around, Bruce flipped Ra's over his shoulder and threw him into the air. Ra's flipped through the air before he fell into the Lazarus Pit with a large splash.

Bruce stared into the bubbling water, trying to catch his breath. After a few moments, the surface of the Pit began to ripple before Ra's burst to the surface. Looking at Ra's, Bruce was surprised to see how his former master had changed. His body seemed completely rejuvenated. His skin was now wrinkle free while his hair had become a sleek black. He was breathing heavily, as if the whole process had exhausted him.

"Well, I wasn't planning on taking that bath for a while yet," Ra's commented between breaths, as he slowly made his way out of the Pit, "No matter though, the effect is the same after all."

Bruce was about to say something when the whole cave began to shake, small rocks falling from the ceiling.

"What!" Ra's shouted as he looked up at the cave's ceiling.

"The explosives!" Talia called out as she stood over Ubu, quickly kicking him in the head and knocking him out, "We have to go!"

Bruce nodded and moved towards her but was stopped as Ra's grabbed his leg. Growling, Bruce yanked his foot free and kicked Ra's in the side of the head, stunning him. He raced over to Talia who was ushering him on.

"That's far enough, my old student!" the old voice of the Sensei echoed across the chamber. Looking over, Bruce's eyes widened in horror as he saw the girl, bruised and scrapped, her throat being held by one of the Sensei's gnarled hands, her feet dangling off the ground.

"I think you should surrender," he said with a smirk, "or I'll break the girl's neck."

"You let her go!" Bruce shouted.

"That wasn't one of the options, my student," Sensei retorted, "Either you surrender now and I let the girl go, or I kill her and beat the two of you into submission."

There was a tense moment as the Sensei and Bruce stared each other down, the silence only broken by the sounds of explosions above and the shaking of the cave.

"What will it be?" Sensei asked.

"How about a third choice?" Talia asked as she quickly drew a knife and hurled it at the Sensei. Right before it hit him, Sensei reached out and grabbed the knife. Smiling, he looked at Talia.

"Is that the best you can do?" he mocked.

"No," Talia retorted, "That's called a distraction."

Sensei raised an eyebrow before the girl's foot connected with his face. At the same time, she chopped his arm, forcing him to let her go. Sensei growled as he shook off her attack, before he moved to grab the girl again, who was scrambling over to Bruce. As he did though, Talia threw her other knife at Sensei. Sensei quickly batted it out of the air with a growl of contempt. His eyes narrowing, he rushed at Talia. Before she could even react, he was on her, driving his palm into her stomach. Talia let out a strangled gasp as she doubled over, allowing the Sensei to drive his knee into her face, knocking her onto her back.

"Talia!" Bruce shouts as he moves towards her. Suddenly, the room was rocked by another explosion from above. Large chunks of rock began to fall from the ceiling as Bruce is knocked off his feet by the shifting floor.

The Sensei was also knocked off balance by the sudden shift, allowing Talia to attack. Grabbing his legs, Talia pulled the older man to the ground and began wrestling with him, trying to hold him down.

"Run!" Talia screamed at Bruce as the Sensei struggled with her.

"Not without you!" Bruce replied as he started to make his way towards her.

"NO!" Talia shouted back at him, "Leave me! Just go!"

Seeing Bruce's hesitance, Talia turned her eyes to the girl, staring straight into her brown ones.

"Run!" she shouted. The girl seemed to read every fiber of her being and quickly nodded in understanding. Grabbing Bruce's hand she stopped him and started to pull him to the exit out of the cave.

"Wait!" Bruce shouted, fighting against the girl "Stop!"

"R-R…un!" the girl urged him.

Looking back, Bruce saw the pleading look in Talia's eyes. Closing his eyes, he turned and ran for the exit. With a roar, the Sensei threw Talia off of him, slamming her into a nearby wall. Hopping back to his feet, he chased after Bruce and the girl.

As the two approached the exit, another explosion rocked the cavern. Looking up, Bruce realized that the mouth of the tunnel was about to relax. Looking over his shoulder, he saw Sensei bearing down on them. His eyes narrowing, Bruce urged the girl onward, before running at one of the cave walls. Jumping at it, he placed both of his feet against it before leaping off back towards Sensei. Bruce raised his leg to kick the Sensei as the old man pulled his arm back to strike at Bruce. The Sensei smiled as he threw his fist forward, only to hit air as Bruce jerked himself to the side. Thrusting his leg forward, he kicked the Sensei hard in the chest, sending the old man flying backwards, landing on the ground and rolling to a stop.

Sparing the Sensei a final glare, he quickly turned and ran towards the exit. Looking up, he saw the roof was about to collapse. Taking a flying dive, he jumped through the entrance, rolling to a stop as the roof collapsed behind him. Coughing from the kicked up dust, he slowly stood up. The cave was now completely dark, and Bruce began feeling around for a wall or the girl. Suddenly, a small hand reached out and wrapped around Bruce's own. Taking it, Bruce gave it a reassuring squeeze before he began to make his way through the cave.

Slowly, Talia pushed herself up, groaning as she did. Looking at the exit, she saw it had collapsed. Still, somehow she knew Bruce and the girl had escaped.

"Goodbye, my beloved," she whispered, looking sadly at the rubble. Suddenly, someone yanked her hair back painfully. She now stared into the crazed eyes of her father.

"You've been a very bad girl," he growled dangerously.

_Later_

After what seemed like hours of running, Bruce and the girl stumbled out of a hidden cave at the base of the mountain. Falling to his knees, Bruce realized he was kneeling in the grove of blue flowers that he had passed through when he had first arrived there. Looking up, he could make out a trail of smoke rising from the top of the mountain.

It was then that Bruce was struck by everything that had happened. He had left Talia behind, to face God knows what fate. Bruce face collapsed into a look of despair before he buried his face in his hands. He could feel the tears welling up in his eyes when he felt something else.

Looking up, he saw the girl had come over and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, hugging him in order to try and comfort him. Bruce was taken aback before a smile crossed his face and he returned her hug. They kneeled there within the field of flowers, holding each other as the cold wind blew around them.

_Later, Wayne Manor, Gotham_

The phone rang in the darkened halls of the old mansion. After a few moments, the lights began to flick on as Alfred, dressed in his pajamas, made his way to the closest phone. As he walked, the phone continued to ring, clearly grating on his nerves.

"Yes, yes. I'm coming," he said as he reached the phone. Taking a moment to put on his professional air, he reached down and answered it.

"Hello, Wayne Manor. How may I help you?" he asked. The response he got almost made him drop the phone in surprise.

"M-Master Bruce!" he exclaimed, his professionalism dropping in weight of his excitement and relief, "It's so good to hear from you, sir! We had feared the worst."

Alfred paused as Bruce talked.

"Of course sir, I'll wake the pilot and crew and have them prepare the jet right away. We'll leave as soon as possible. Where are you exactly?" he asked, before pausing as Bruce spoke again.

"That's a rather remote area," Alfred commented, "but I'm sure we can get there."

"It will be good to see you again, sir," Alfred said with a smile, before it dropped away, replaced by a look of trepidation, "What kind of surprise sir?"

A/N: There it is, Bruce has now escaped the clutches of the League of Shadows and is finally on his way to becoming Batman. Hope you guys liked this chapter, I found it fun to write, and I'm very excited to write what's to come. Until then, please review! Later True Believers!


	13. Prodigal Son

**Chapter 13: Prodigal Son**

_The ache for home lives in all of us, the safe place where we can go as we are and not be questioned._

-Maya Angelou

_ November 16__th__, 2011_

On a tarmac in the middle of the Tibetan mountains, the door to the sleek, white private jet opened revealing a stairwell leading down from the door. Alfred walked through the door, dressed in his usual black suit. At the bottom of the stairs stood Bruce, dressed in a brown leather jacket, a black t-shirt and jeans, a brown duffle bag slung over his shoulder.

"It's good to see you, Master Bruce," Alfred said with a smile as he descended the stairs.

"It's good to see you too, Alfred," Bruce replied with a smile of his own. Dropping the duffle bag, he walked up to Alfred and quickly pulled him into a friendly hug. Alfred smiled and returned it.

"So what is this surprise you mentioned on the phone?" Alfred asked, "You were very closed lipped about it."

Bruce smiled before looking to his side and down. A confused look crossed his face before he looked behind him. He smiled again before stepping aside, revealing an eleven year old girl behind him, dressed in a pair of worn jeans and an ill-fitting, grey, hooded sweatshirt. Alfred's eyes widened in surprise as he looked at the girl. The girl's did as well before she quickly stepped behind Bruce, peeking out from behind him.

"When did you get shy?" Bruce asked with a chuckle.

"Master Bruce, who is this?" Alfred asked him, still surprised.

"She…doesn't really have a name," Bruce admitted, scratching the back of his head.

"You forgot her name?" Alfred asked, annoyed with Bruce.

"No. She doesn't have one," Bruce replied.

"Oh," Alfred said, a look of realization passing over his face, "I see."

Bruce turned and leaned over in front of the girl, looking her in the eye.

"This is Alfred," Bruce said, indicating to Alfred, "He's my friend."

The girl looked up at Alfred, her eyes scanning over him, sending a chill running down Alfred's spine as he met her intense gaze.

"A-Al…f-fred," she said with some difficulty.

Alfred looked at Bruce, raising an eyebrow.

"She doesn't really speak that well. She also has a hard time if you try to tell her more than just basic things,"

"What happened to her, Master Bruce?" Alfred asked, "What happened to you?"

"It's a long story, Alfred," Bruce replied solemnly, placing a hand on Alfred's shoulder, "Let's get on the plane, I'll explain it to you on the way home."

Alfred nodded as he turned and made his way back up the stairs. Bruce turned to the girl and offered her his hand, which she quickly took, before leading her up into the jet.

_Later_

Bruce and Alfred sat facing each other in the jet's plush seats. The girl was curled up in another chair a few feet away, sound asleep. Bruce stared out of the jet's window, the setting sun shining on his weathered face.

"It seems you've lived quite the life the past few years, Master Bruce," Alfred commented, feeling Bruce was done retelling his story.

"It's seems I have," Bruce agreed, still looking out the window.

"So will you be coming back to Gotham for long, sir?" Alfred asked.

"As long as it takes," Bruce replied solemnly, turning from the window, "I want to show the people of Gotham their city doesn't belong to the criminals and the corrupt."

"During the depression, your father nearly bankrupted Wayne-Stark Enterprises combating poverty. He believed that his example could inspire the wealthy of Gotham to save their city," Alfred mused.

"Did it?" Bruce asked.

"In a way," Alfred replied, pausing before continuing "Their murder shocked the wealthy and the powerful into action."

Bruce's eyebrows knitted together as he thought.

"People need dramatic examples to shake them out of apathy and I can't do that as Bruce Wayne," Bruce explained, "As a man, I'm flesh and blood. I can be ignored. I can be destroyed. But as a symbol? As a symbol I can be incorruptible. I can be everlasting."

"What symbol?" Alfred asked.

"Something…elemental," Bruce said as he thought, "Something terrifying."

"I assume as you're taking on the underworld, this symbol is a persona to protect those you care about from reprisals?" Alfred questioned.

"You're thinking about Tony and Kathy," Bruce stated.

"Actually sir, I was thinking of myself," Alfred replied with a chuckle, before his eyes drifted over to the sleeping form of the girl, "Myself and that young creature over there."

Bruce smiled as he looked at the girl, before looking back at Alfred.

"Have you told anyone I'm coming back?" Bruce asked.

"I just couldn't figure the legal ramifications of bringing you back from the dead," Alfred scoffed.

"Dead?" Bruce asked, shocked.

"You've been gone six years," Alfred explained.

"So you had me declared dead?" Bruce asked, surprised.

"Well actually, that was Mr. Stane," Alfred elaborated, "He wanted to liquidate your majority share. Those shares are worth quite a bit of money."

"Well, it's a good thing I left everything to you then," Bruce mused.

"Quite so sir," Alfred agreed as he leaned back in his chair, "You can borrow the Roles if you like. Just bring it back with a full tank."

Bruce chuckled in response to the joke. Alfred smiled in return before his eyes drifted over to the girl again.

"Speaking of that young creature," Alfred began, "What do you plan to do about her?"

"She needs a place to live," Bruce stated, looking at her as well, "She needs someone to care for her."

He turned back to Alfred, who was looking at him.

"You don't think I can do it?" Bruce asked.

"I don't have the knowledge to judge your parenting ability, sir," Alfred explained, "What I do know is it doesn't matter. I've seen the way that girl looks at you. She needs you, sir."

A small smile spread across his face as Bruce looked at the girl.

"What she also needs though, is a way into this county," Alfred continued, "That and a name."

"The name we'll have to work on," Bruce admitted, "As for getting her into the country, though I plan on fighting the criminals and the corrupted, they do have their advantages."

Alfred raised an eyebrow, while Bruce merely smirked at him.

_Later_

The girl rubbed the sleep from her eyes, as the sleek black car she was riding in pulled to a stop. She quickly looked around, trying to figure out where she was. The crunch of shoes against gravel caught her attention as Alfred walked around the car and opened the door for her.

"We've arrived, Young Miss" he stated, as he stepped aside to let her out.

The girl slid out of the car and stepped onto the gravel driveway. Her attention was at first focused on the collection of loose rocks that crunched beneath her feet. Slowly, her eyes drifted upwards and widened in wonder as she took in the sight of the large mansion in front of her. She stood there for a few moments, her mouth agape, as she took it in. A few moments later, she felt a hand on her shoulder. Looking up, she saw Bruce smiling down at her.

"Welcome home," he said simply as he led her towards the house, Alfred trailing behind them.

_Later_

The girl wandered around the large mansion, doing her best to take in her new surroundings. She slowly wandered into a living room. She leaned down to feel the rich carpet under her feet, taking in its texture. Standing up, she moved to one of the couches, looking at its colors and pattern while she sat on it and felt the texture as well. Looking over at the wall, she saw that a large brick fireplace with a marble mantle place over it.

Stepping up, she moved her hand over the bricks, feeling it as well. Leaning down, she reached into the fireplace and took out a pinch of soot. Holding it in front of her, she ran it between her fingers, before bringing it up to her nose and sniffing it. The action caused some of the soot to shoot up her nose, causing her to sneeze violently. A small black cloud shot up in front of her, dirtying her face. Wiping her face on the long sleeve of her sweatshirt, she blinked in surprise.

Stepping back, she looked up at the mantle place. There were a few small, framed photographs of various members of the Wayne family. What catches her attention though was the large painting of Thomas and Martha Wayne. Her head tilted to the side as she observed the portrait, examining the people within it.

The sound of someone clearing their throat draws her attention to the entrance of the room. Turning around, she finds Alfred watching her.

"Al…fred" she greets him.

"Young Miss," Alfred returns the greeting, "exploring your new home?"

The girl looked around the room again, before looking back at Alfred and nodding. Alfred smiled as he saw she understood him.

"Anything I can help you with?" he asked.

The girl looked at him for a moment, before she turned and pointed at the portrait, the long sleeve of her sweatshirt covering her hand, the end hanging limply in the air.

"You want to know who those are?" Alfred asked. The girl nodded in response.

"They are Master Bruce's parents," Alfred explained. The girl looked at him in confusion.

"You do know what parents are, right?" he asked, "A mother and a father?"

A look of realization crossed her face before her eyes darkened as she nodded in understanding. Alfred felt a feeling of unease pass over him as he recalled Bruce telling him about the girl's father and his treatment of her.

"Yes well, their names were Martha and Thomas," Alfred explained, hoping to distract the girl from her memories. Turning around, the girl looked at the portrait again.

"Thom…as," she said slowly, "Mar…tha."

"Very good, miss," Alfred replied with a smile.

"Miss?" the girl asks, pointing at herself.

"Excuse me?" Alfred asked.

"Al…fred" she answered pointing at him, before pointing at herself, "Miss."

"Oh, you want to know if that's your name," Alfred deduced.

"Name," she replied with a nod, before pointing at herself again, "Miss."

"That's not a name," Alfred explained, "It's a title."

"Ti…tle?" she asked.

"Yes," Alfred replied, trying to figure out how to explain, "For example, while I refer to Master Bruce as Master Bruce, you call him Bruce."

"Br…uce," she said pointing at herself before pointing at Alfred, "Mas…ter Br…uce."

"Yes, now master is a title," Alfred explained further, "Do you understand?"

The girl nodded slowly, looking slightly disappointed. Turning, she looked back at the mantle. Scanning the pictures on the mantle, one caught her attention. Standing on her toes, she reached up and grabbed one of them. Walking over to Alfred, she held up the photo for him to see.

Alfred smiled as he looked at the old photo. It was of a man and woman. The man had slicked back, black hair and a skinny build with an austere posture. Next to him was a proper looking woman, with brown hair tied back in a tight bun.

"These are my parents," Alfred replied, "Master Bruce let me keep a picture of them up there on the mantle."

Turning the picture around, he showed it to the girl.

"This is my father, Jarvis," he said, pointing to the man, before pointing to the woman, "And this is my mother, Cassandra."

"Jar…vis," she repeated, "Cass…and…ra"

"Very good miss," Alfred replied, patting her on the head before he walked over to the mantle and replaced the photo.

"Now, come along, Young Miss," he said as he walked out of the room, folding his arms behind him, "I'll show you the rest of the house. And don't worry, we'll find you a name, miss."

She paused as a thoughtful look crossed her face.

"Name" she mused, "Cass…and…ra,"

A small smile crossed her face before she hurried after Alfred, eager to explore the mansion further.

A/N: Sorry for the lack of updates, I've been busy with school the last few weeks. Now that I'm out for the summer though, I'm going to be doing my best to get the chapters out quicker. Hope you guys like this one, it's a short one, but it was fun to write, and made me even more excited for what's to come. Please review! Later True Believers!


	14. Back in Town

**Chapter 14: Back in Town**

_A house is not a home unless it contains food and fire for the mind as well as the body_

-Benjamin Franklin

_November 20__th__, 2011, Gotham City Courthouse_

A trial had just let out, causing a number of people to pour out into the stately halls of the Gotham City courthouse. One man stood out in particular. He was tall and skinny, with greasy black hair and dark brown eyes. He wore a pair of wire-frame glasses and a dark grey suit. He walked with a briefcase in one hand and a jacket tucked under the other.

"Dr. Crane?" a voice asked, catching the tall man's attention. Turning in the direction of the voice, he found another man approaching him. He had short, brown hair and his eyes were obscured by a pair of dark sunglasses. He wore a black suit and black leather shoes over his athletic frame. He walked with a red and white cane, poking the ground in front of him, showing that he was blind.

"Mr. Murdock," Crane greeted him as he continued on his way.

"Do you really think a man who butchers people for the mob doesn't deserve to go to prison?" Murdock asked.

"Well I would have hardly testified to that if I thought otherwise, would I, Mr. Murdock?" Crane questioned with a smirk.

"Zsasz is the third of the Kingpin's thugs you've had declared insane and moved into your asylum," Murdock stated as he stepped into Crane's path, stopping him.

"Well I guess working for organized crime has an appeal to the criminally insane," Crane shot back.

"Or the corrupt," Murdock accused.

Crane glared at the blind man before his eyes drifted to the side.

"Mr. Finch!" Crane called, catching the attention of a black haired man dressed in a dark suit who was standing nearby, "Perhaps you should talk to Mr. Murdock here about just what implications your office has authorized him to make. If any."

With that, Crane walked off with a smile on his face as Finch walked over to Murdock.

"What are you doing, Matt?" Finch asked.

"What are you doing, Carl?" Matt shot back.

"Looking out for you," Carl replied, "Fisk has half the city bought and paid for. Drop it."

"How can you say that?" Matt asked.

"As much as I care about getting the Kingpin, I don't want to lose any of my people," Carl explained.

"I can take care of myself," Matt growled before he turned and made his way out of the courthouse. Standing on the steps, he paused a moment as he listened to the people around him. The sound of them moving, the vibrations in the air, made an image in Matt's mind almost as clear as real sight. A small smile spread across his face as he noticed someone familiar approaching. The figure was a man, roughly the same age as Matt. He had jet black hair, dark brown eyes, and handsome features with a black color suit over his athletic frame.

"Hey pal," the man said friendly, "Heard you caught a hard break today."

"Same thing as always, Harvey," Matt explained, "Crane got another of the Kingpin's goons put in Arkham."

"Don't sweat it," Harvey said, patting him on the back, "He'll slip one day and when he does, we'll be there to catch him. Now, how about a drink?"

"Sound good," Matt answered with a smile.

With that Harvey began leading Matt down the stone steps of the courthouse. Unbeknownst to either of, Bruce stood not far off, disguised as a street vagrant. He quickly snapped a photo of them before disappearing into the crowd.

_Later_

Bruce sat on the floor of the living room, surrounded by pictures and news clippings. Looking at them, he jotted down notes on a small notebook. Sitting next to him, the girl watched him intently, trying to understand what the strange symbols on the paper meant.

As he worked, a small squeaking noise caught both their attentions. Getting up, the girl moved into the hallway, looking up at the ceiling. Curious, Bruce followed her. Hearing Bruce approaching, the girl pointed up at the ceiling. Looking where she was pointing, Bruce saw a bat flying around, clearly confused.

"Blasted bats again, sir," Alfred said as he walked towards them from down the hallway, carrying a tray of refreshments, "They nest somewhere on the grounds."

Bruce continued to watch the bat, a thought forming in his head.

_The next day_

Bruce walked down the steps behind the mansion, leading to the mansion's grounds. He was dressed in outdoor clothing and carried a rope and some climbing equipment. The girl followed behind him, dressed in some new clothing Alfred had bought for her, along with the old, baggy sweatshirt she had arrived in. In addition, her hair was done up in a short pony tail near the base of her skull.

Bruce walked through the ground before coming to an old well, overgrown with weeds. A place he knew all too well. Together, the two of them pulled with weeds off of the well, before Bruce secured the rope to its edge and lowered it down. The two quickly climbed down to the dry bed of the well.

Leaning over, Bruce looked at the cave entrance in the side of the well. A feeling of trepidation overcame him as he looked into the cave, where the bat that still haunted his nightmares emerged all those years ago. The girl looked at him with confusion, pulling on his sleeve to make sure he was alright. Bruce gave her a smile before taking a breath and climbing into the cave, trailing the long length of rope behind him.

The cave continued down into the earth, the sound of running water echoing off the rock walls. The floor became steeper and steeper as they went, forcing the two to slid more than climb as they held onto the rope.

Eventually, the cave opened up into a huge chamber. Sliding down the rock wall, they landed on the cave floor, their breath visible in the cool air. Looking over, Bruce saw a waterfall nearby, causing the cave to echo with the sound of falling water as it crashed and ran off the numerous stones in the cave.

Hearing a noise, the girl ventured deeper into the chamber. As she did, innumerable squeaking noises echoed around her, increasing as she walked. Bruce trailed behind her, pausing as she stopped and stared up at the cave's ceiling. Reaching into his pocket, Bruce pulled out a high powered glow stick and held it up above him. As the light reached the ceiling, thousands of tiny eyes stared back at him.

The colony of bats burst into action at the unexpected intrusion. Bruce and the girl ducked as the bats swarmed over them. After a few moments, Bruce realized the bats weren't attacking them. Looking around, he slowly stood back up as the bats swirled around him. The girl glanced at him before slowly following suit.

Looking around in wonder, Bruce closed his eyes as he felt the bats fly around him, stirring his hair. The girl did as well, holding her hands out to her sides, feeling the bats flit past her fingers as they swirled around them, a small smile appearing on her face.

The bats were not attacking them, she felt. They were enveloping them. Including them, like they sensed one of their own. It was then that the girl felt something that had been building in her since she had arrived at the mansion. A feeling of belonging. Now, as she stood there, standing next to the man who had saved her, with the colony of bats flowing around them like a living, flying river, it felt strongest. It was there, in that cave, beneath that mansion, with the man and the bats that she belonged. She was home.

_The next day, Wayne-Stark Tower_

In a boardroom on one of the highest floors, a meeting was being conducted. A group of suited men and woman of various ages sat around the table, discussing the future of their company. Tony Stark sat at one of the ends of the table, now sporting a short goatee.

"We are showing very healthy growth in these sectors," one of the board members explained.

"I don't think Thomas Wayne would have viewed heavy arms manufacturing as a corner stone for our company," another board member spoke up.

"Maybe Thomas wouldn't have," Tony said, "But my father started that section for a reason. It's not about being weapon dealers. It's about protecting lives. American lives. And weapons aren't the only thing we build, last time I check. Where would all our more beneficial products be without the military funds we have to make them?"

"I think after almost twenty years, we can stop asking ourselves what Thomas Wayne would have done," Obadiah Stane said as the other end of the table, smiling at Tony.

Meanwhile, outside the boardroom, a young secretary sat at her desk. She had long red hair done up in a ponytail, along with pale, freckled skin and green eyes. She wore a white blouse and a black skirt along with stockings and black high heeled shoes.

"Good morning, Mr. Stane's office," she said, answering the phone, while she took notes "Yes, he is confirmed for the dinner tomorrow evening."

As she talked, Bruce walked in, dressed in a black suit. He calmly walked up to the desk, the secretary having not noticed him yet.

"Good morning," he greeted her, "I'm here to see Mr. Stane and Mr. Stark."

"Name?" she asked.

"Bruce Wayne," Bruce replied simply.

The girl's paused in confusion before she slowly looked up, her eyes wide and her jaw slack.

_Later_

"Virginia?" Stane's voice asked over the intercom, "Virginia, are you there?"

The call was ignored as Virginia stood directly in front of Bruce, his front against her backside with his arms wrapped around her as he showed her how to putt using a novelty golf set.

"Now just keep your eye on the ball," Bruce said into her ear.

Suddenly the door to the boardroom opened and Stane emerged.

"Why is no one answering the phone?" he asked, agitated.

"It's Wayne-Stark Enterprises, Mr. Stane," Bruce said, turning to face Stane as he let Virginia go, "I'm sure they'll call back."

"Bruce?" Stane asked, shocked and confused, "You're supposed to be dead."

"Sorry to disappoint," Bruce replied with a smirk. Looking past Stane, he caught Tony's eye, who was staring at him in shock.

"It's been a long time, Tony," Bruce said, genuinely smiling.

"You're damn right it has!" Tony exclaimed, forgetting all forms of decorum as he jumped from his seat and running around the room. Stopping right in front of Bruce, he placed his hands on Bruce's shoulders, his grin nearly splitting his face.

"It's been far too long, Bruce," Tony said before yanking Bruce into a hug. The action caught Bruce off guard, his eyes widening in surprise, before hugging him in return, a small grin on his face. Pulling back, Tony couldn't help but laugh.

"Look at you!" Tony shouted, "You've changed! I can't tell what it is, but you've changed! I like it."

"You've changed for the better too, Tony," Bruce chuckled, while stroking his chin, drawing attention to Tony's own beard.

"Hey, I like it," Tony said, defensively, "Besides I don't see you helping run our fathers' company."

"No, I'm not," Bruce replied, genuinely smiling, "But I can't think of anyone else I'd rather see doing it."

"Oh man," Tony said, turning to look at the gathered board members, "Now you see, he disappears for seven years, but then he comes back and he says those things and I can't stay mad at him."

"So how about a drink?" Tony asked turning back to Bruce.

"Are you done here?" Bruce questioned.

"Well I am," Tony said with a shrug, "What about you Obi? What to sit around and gab for a while longer or you want to have a drink with Mr. Wayne here?"

"I don't think we'll be getting much work done after this," Stane said with a smirk.

"Excellent, let's go to my office," he said before turning to the secretary, "Could you get us some drinks…"

Tony trailed off, snapping his fingers as he tried to remember her name.

"It's Virginia, Tony," Stane provided.

"Actually, I believe she prefers Pepper, if I'm correct?" Bruce asked, smiling at her.

"Uh, yes, that's right, Mr. Wayne," Pepper replied, blushing slightly.

"Pepper? I like it," Tony smirked, "Can you get us some drinks, Pepper?"

"Of course, Mr. Stark," she replied, nodding her head.

"So have seen Kathy yet?" Tony asked as he led Bruce to his office, Stane trailing behind them.

"Not yet," Bruce answered.

"Wow, coming to see me before your own cousin?" Tony asked, placing a hand to his chest, "I'm touched."

"Yeah," Bruce agreed, chuckling, "Touched in the head."

"Wow, some old Bruce charm," Tony said amazed, "I haven't seen that for what seems like forever, let along seven years."

"What can I say Tony?" Bruce replied as they entered Tony's office, "I'm a changed man."

"I'll say," Tony replied, taking a seat, while offering one to Bruce. Stane decided to remain standing. A moment later, Pepper walked in carrying a tray of drinks. Stane thanked her before taking it and dismissing her.

"You've been gone a long time, Bruce," Stane stated as he handed Bruce his drink, "A lot of things have changed. The company has changed."

"Seems so," Bruce agreed, "I overheard some of your discussion in the board room earlier. You don't have to worry about me interfering with your business practices. What I came here today for is a job."

"Oh?" Stane asked, slightly surprised.

"I just want to get to know the company my family helped build," Bruce replied.

"Any idea where you would apply?" Tony asked.

"Applied Sciences caught my eye," Bruce answered.

"That's Lucius Fox's department," Tony replied, "Good guy, worked with him a bit on my way up."

"I'll let him know you're on the way," Stane stated, "You look like him you know. Your father. You're the last member of the Wayne family. This is where you belong. Welcome home."

_Later_

Bruce stood in what seemed to be a basement of the Tower. Numerous boxes and crates were stacked in rows, giving the place a storage area feel. Before him sat an African-American man in his middle ages. He had brown eyes and short, salt and pepper hair. He wore a blue sports jacket over a white button-up shirt, and brown pants. He sat in front of a small desk, looking up at Bruce.

"Environmental procedures, defense projects, consumer products. All prototypes. None in production on any level what so ever," the man explained.

"None?" Bruce questioned.

"What did they tell you this place was?" Lucius asked as he stood up from his desk, giving Bruce a confused look.

"They didn't tell me anything," Bruce answered.

"Well, Obadiah told me exactly what it was when he sent me down here," Lucius explained as he turned on a switch, causing a multitude of lights to spring to life overhead, "A dead end. To keep me from causing the board anymore trouble."

Lucius smirked as he explained it before motioning Bruce to follow him and walking down one of the hallways.

"You were on the board?" Bruce asked, following him.

"When your father ran things, yeah," Lucius replied.

"You knew my father?" Bruce questioned, surprised.

"Oh yeah," Lucius answered with a smile, "Helped him build his train."

"Here we are," Lucius said, stopping in front of a black case and opening it. Inside were a number of black straps along with a belt and what looked like some sort of gun.

"Kevlar utility harness," Lucius said, indicating to the straps, before pointing at the gun, "Gas-powered magnetic grapple gun with three hundred and fifty pound test monofilament."

He let Bruce look at them for a moment before continuing his tour.

"Wonderful thing, your dad's train," he said, continuing his previous thought, "Routed it right into Wayne-Stark Tower, along with the water and power utilities. Kind of made the Tower the unofficial center of Gotham City. Of course, Stane let it go to rot. Here we are."

Stopping in front of another case, Lucius opened it, revealing a black, advanced-looking suit of armor.

"Nomex survival suit for advanced infantry," Lucius explained, holding it up so Bruce could get a better look at it, "Kevlar biweave, reinforced joints."

"Tare-resistant?" Bruce asked.

"This sucker will stop a knife," Lucius replied.

"Bulletproof?" Bruce questioned.

"Anything but a straight shot," Lucius answered.

"Why didn't they put it into production?" Bruce questioned.

"Bean counters didn't think a soldier's life was worth three hundred grand," Lucius explained as he put the suit away.

"So, what's your interest in it, Mr. Wayne?" Lucius asked, leaning against the case.

"I want to borrow it," Bruce explained, "For spelunking."

"Spelunking?" Lucius questioned, clearly not buying it.

"Yeah, you know, cave diving?" Bruce continued.

"Expecting to run into much gunfire in these caves?" Lucius asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Look," Bruce said after taking a moment to collect his thoughts, "I'd rather Mr. Stane didn't know about me borrowing-"

"Mr. Wayne," Lucius said, cutting him off, "The way I see it, all this stuff is yours anyway."

_Later_

Bruce hung from one of the cave walls, hammering pylons into the wet stone. Alfred watched from below, standing next to a portable generator.

"Okay, give it a try," Bruce said as he finished. Nodding, Alfred bent down and turned on the generator, causing the lights Bruce had hung up to spring to life, illuminating the dark cave.

"Charming," Alfred stated as he observed the roosting bats, "At least you'll have company."

"This must be the lowest foundation of the southeast wing," Alfred explained, pointing to some construction on a higher level of the cave as Bruce lowered himself down. Unstrapping himself, Bruce walked towards the foundation, trudging through a small stream running through the cave as he went.

"In the Civil War, your great-great-grandfather was involved in the Underground Railroad," Alfred explained as they explored the structure, "secretly transporting freed slaves to the North, and I suspect that these caverns came in handy."

Eventually they reached an old, manually operated elevator, its shaft leading up to the building above.

"There are also stories that a tribe of natives used to live in these caves before the city was founded," Alfred continued, looking around with his flashlight, "I believe they were called the Miagani, or "Bat People". Oddly fitting don't you think?"

"Very," Bruce replied with a nod.

_Later_

"Oh, Master Bruce," Alfred said as Bruce walked through the halls of the manor, having finished putting his equipment away, "There was something interesting that came up while you were out."

"What's that, Alfred?" Bruce asked.

"Well, it seems…" Alfred trailed off as the sound of people approaching reached their ears. Moments later, Tony walked around the corner, followed by Kathy. They quickly froze when they caught sight of Bruce and Alfred.

"Your door was unlocked," Tony explained quickly.

"Seven years, Bruce," Kathy said quietly as she stared at her cousin, "You disappear without a word for seven years."

"Hello to you too, Kathy," Bruce replied, caught off guard by her sudden appearance.

"I have a mind to knock you into next week!" she declared as she marched up to him, getting right in his face.

"I'm sorry Kathy," Bruce replied, "What you said that night made me realize some things I needed to change and I needed to start as soon as possible."

"You could have said something!" Kathy shouted, tears welling up in her eyes, "I've spent the past seven years wondering if the Kingpin killed you and left you at the bottom of the river. When they declared you dead I…I…"

Kathy trailed off as she descended into sobs, grabbing onto Bruce tightly. Bruce quickly returned the embrace as she shook against him.

"I'm sorry," Bruce repeated, "I didn't realize."

"It's ok," Kathy replied, hugging him, "It's just good to have you back, Bruce."

Pulling herself away, she whipped her eyes as she giggled with embarrassment.

"So," she said, calming her nerves, "What have you been up to all these years?"

Before Bruce could answer, the sound of running feet caught their attention as the girl suddenly appeared in a doorway. Seeing two people she didn't recognize, she immediately froze up before sliding back out of the doorframe and out of sight. There was a palpable silence as they all stood staring at the spot where the girl had just stood.

"Judging by the stunned silence, I'm going to go ahead and say I'm not the only one who just saw a preteen Asian girl suddenly appear," Tony commented, not taking his eyes off the spot.

"Bruce, who was that?" Kathy asked.

"Hold on," Bruce replied before he walked over to the door, "Hey, come on out. These are my friends. It's alright."

Slowly, the girl inched back out, gripping onto Bruce's leg.

"She's shy around new people," Bruce explained.

"I'll say," Tony commented, observing the girl.

"Who is this?" Kathy asked, walking over.

"This is…" Bruce trailed off as he tried to think of a way to explain why the girl had no name.

"Cass…and…ra" the girl said with a quiet voice. Hearing her, Bruce looked down at her with surprise.

"My…name…Cass…and…ra," she repeated, slowly stepping in front of Bruce.

"Yeah, Cassandra," Bruce replied, placing a hand on her shoulder and giving it a reassuring squeeze.

"That's what I tried to tell you, sir," Alfred said, walking over and whispering in Bruce's ear, "She decided on it just this morning."

"Hi Cassandra," Kathy greeted, bending over to be eye level with her, "I'm Kathy."

"Kath…y," Cassandra repeated.

"That's right," Kathy replied, smiling.

"And I'm Tony. In case you were wondering," Tony introduced himself with a smirk.

"Ton…y" Cassandra repeated, smiling at him.

"Real exotic parrot you got there, Bruce," Tony joked.

"Tony!" Kathy shouted, standing up and glaring at him, before turning back to Bruce, "Where did she come from, Bruce?"

"I found her. It's a bit of a long story," Bruce explained.

"She seems to like you," Kathy observed, looking at how close Cassandra was standing to him.

"The feeling's mutual," Bruce commented, rubbing Cassandra's hair affectionately, earning a laugh from the girl.

"Well, I don't know about you folks, but I need a drink," Tony said as he started towards the kitchen.

"Come on, Bruce," Kathy said as she followed Tony, "You can tell us more about what you've been doing these past seven years."

As they walked away, Bruce smiled down at Cassandra.

"So, Cassandra huh?" he asked. The girl smiled and nodded in reply.

"Like Alfred's mom, right?" he questioned, earning another nod.

"Well come on, Cassandra," he said as he walked towards the kitchen, "it's time for you to meet the rest of the family."

Cassandra smiled as she ran after Bruce, eager to get to the kitchen.

A/N: Exposition chapter. Hope you guys liked it. As always, it was fun to write the interactions between Bruce and Cassandra, as well as Tony. Also, the idea of Kathy being Bruce's cousin is one I came up with more recently. It doesn't contradicts anything I said before and probably better explains why they're so close. The idea came from the fact that Martha's maiden name is Kane, so I decided to run with it. Hope you guys liked this chapter! Please review! Later True Believers!


	15. Gathering the Players

**Chapter 15: Gathering the Players**

_They fall in line_

_one at a time_

_ready to play_

-"Blow Me Away" Breaking Benjamin

_ November 24__th__ 2011, Wayne Manor_

"I wanted to thank you again for coming, Tony," Bruce said as he walked through the halls.

"Hey, no problem Bruce," Tony replied, walking behind him, sipping from a glass of champagne, "I mean it is Thanksgiving, and we are practically family."

"The fact Alfred was cooking probably didn't hurt either," Bruce joked.

"What can I say, the man cooks a good turkey," Tony replied with a shrug.

"Turkey!" Cassandra laughed as she followed the two men.

"This was your first Thanksgiving, wasn't it kid?" Tony asked, looking down at her.

Cassandra nodded happily.

"Well you couldn't have picked a weirder family," Tony chuckled as he to another sip of his drink and turned back to Bruce, "So Bruce what is it you wanted to show me."

"Well you see Tony, I've been working on a…project," Bruce began.

"Project?" Tony asked, "Lucius did mention you were acting kind of suspicious."

"I knew he was too smart for me to sneak anything by," Bruce stated, "So I know you're both too smart and too close for me to hide it from you."

"Hide what from me?" Tony asked as they entered the library.

Bruce walked up to a wall panel before grabbing it and pulling it back, revealing an elevator shaft behind it.

"My project," Bruce replied with a smile as he and Cassandra walked over to the elevator, "You coming?"

"Down the rickety looking elevator behind the secret wall?" Tony asked as he entered the elevator, "This is how horror movies start you know."

Bruce chuckled as he closed the door and the elevator descended into the cave below. Opening the door, Tony looked around in surprise.

"Bruce where are we?" he asked.

"Cave system underneath the mansion," Bruce explained.

"And why are we here?" Tony asked.

"I need your help," Bruce said before flipping a switch, turning on the lights and illuminating the cave.

_Later_

Bruce, Tony and Cassandra now sat at a table set up on the cave floor. Tony leaned back in his chair as he digested everything Bruce had just told him.

"Well, I see why you didn't tell Kathy about this. So you want to rid the city of corruption?" Tony asked, earning a nod from Bruce, "And you've decided the best way to do it is to go out and physically fight these people? Bruce, do you really think this is the best idea?"

"The whole time I was away, I was training Tony," Bruce explained, "I'm more than ready for this. They'll never see me coming."

"And what about her?" Tony asked, motioning to Cassandra, "do you really expect me to believe she some sort of martial arts prodigy?"

"You don't have to believe me," Bruce replied. At that moment, Cassandra slammed her hands against the table before pushing herself up and flipping onto it. Hopping over to Tony, she kicked his arm lightly, causing it to shoot into the air. Before Tony could react, she grabbed his arm and yanked it back, forcing him to bend over. As he let out a yelp of pain, she placed her foot against his shoulder, forcing him down further, his cheek now resting on the table.

"Uncle!" he squealed, tapping the table with his free hand, "Uncle!"

Cassandra let him go, giggling as she did. Tony groaned as he sat back up, rubbing his abused shoulder.

"You think that's funny, do you?" he asked, glaring at Cassandra as she retook her seat. She nodded and giggled again.

"Alright, so she is a martial arts prodigy," Tony relented as he continued to rub his sore arm, "Do you plan to take her out there with you?"

"As much as I'd like not to put her in danger, I already know she wants to help, and nothing I can do will stop her," Bruce explained as Cassandra gave a determined nod.

"So what do you want me to do?" Tony asked, "Assuming I'll help you that is."

"I need someone to run logistics, and help me get and maintain my equipment," Bruce explained, "I can't think of anyone better then you."

"Well, I'm guessing I can't stop you from doing this?" Tony asked, leaning back in his chair.

"No," Bruce replied solemnly.

"Then I guess if I don't help you, I'll beat myself up if something happens to you that I could have prevented," Tony relented, "I'm in."

"Thank you, Tony," Bruce said with a smile, "This means a lot to me."

"Hey, they may not have been my parents, but I still cared about your mom and dad too, Bruce," Tony explained, "I want to see this city cleaned up as much as you do. Besides, a little working, a little partying, a little vigilantism. All part of being an international playboy, am I right?"

"You sure are, Tony," Bruce replied with a chuckle.

"So," Tony said, cracking his knuckles, "Where do we start?"

_The next day_

Bruce, Tony and Alfred stood around another table that had been set up in the cave. Spread out on the table were a number of sheets of paper, each depicting various designs and plans.

"We order the main part of this cowl from Singapore," Tony explained, pointing to the appropriate part.

"Via a dummy corporation," Bruce chimed in.

"Right, and then we place an order to a Chinese company for these," Tony continued, pointing to the ear-like attachments for the cowl.

"Put it together ourselves," Alfred finished the thought.

"Exactly," Tony agreed, "They'll have to be large orders, to avoid suspicion."

"How large?" Bruce asked.

"About ten thousand" Tony replied with a shrug. Bruce and Alfred stared at him in surprise for a few moments.

"Well at least we'll have spares," Alfred commented as he looked back at the papers.

"Oh yeah," Tony agreed with a chuckle.

_Later_

Bruce stood in another part of the cave, wearing a paint mask. In front of him stood the suit. Holding a spray painter, he painted over the suit, coloring it completely black.

"Black in season this year?" Tony asked as he walked up behind Bruce. Bruce turned off the spray painter and pulled down his mask as he turned to look at Tony.

"I don't think I have to explain to you why black is stealthy," Bruce retorted.

"So did you pick up one for the kid?" Tony asked.

"They didn't have it in her size," Bruce explained with a smile.

"Hmm, well it'd be a shame for her not to get the same protection," Tony stated as he turned to leave, "I'll see what I can cook up."

"You're just going to make one for her?" Bruce asked, confused.

"Hey, I'm a rich genius," Tony replied as he walked away, "You'd be surprised what I can make in my basement. Give me her measurements and a few days, and I'll blow your mind."

_Later, in Gotham_

A police car sat in front of one of the many liquor stores that made up the infrastructure of Gotham City. In the car sat Detective Gordon, a few wrinkles and grey hairs having been added to his features since his days as a patrol man, but ultimately the same man. As the police radio buzzed next to him, he looked into the store, a look of disgust growing across his features.

A few moments later and a man walked out, a bottle of liquor in one hand and a wad of cash in the other. He was about the same age as Gordon, with long, greasy brown hair, brown eyes and a short beard. He was overweight, with a brown jacket over a green shirt and brown pants. He took a swing of the liquor as he got into the driver's seat of the car.

"Don't suppose you want a taste," the man said, waving the money at Gordon, "I just keep offering, thinking maybe someday you'll get wise."

"There's nothing wise in what you do, Flass," Gordon sighed as he looked out the front window.

"Well, Jimbo, you don't take the taste, makes us guys nervous," Flass explained.

"I'm no rat," Gordon shot back, whipping his head around to glare at Flass, before sighing, and looking away forlornly, "In a town this bent, who's there to rat to anyway?"

Flass laughed as he started up the car and drove away.

_Later, outside the 9__th__ District GDP Police Precinct_

Sitting on a roof top outside the police department, Bruce, now wearing the combat suit, observed the building. Sitting next to him was Cassandra, wearing a black, full body leotard along with a pair of gloves and sneakers with her hair help up by a clip on the back of her head.

"You ready?" Bruce asked as he put on a black ski mask. Cassandra nodded as she donned her own.

"Alright, let's go," Bruce said as they began to make their way off the rooftop.

_Later_

Gordon walked into his office, flicking on the light and shrugging of his jacket. Walking over to his desk he sat down with a sigh before he took out his gun and holster and placed them on his desk. Reaching over to his phone, he picked it up and began to dial a number when the lights suddenly cut out. Looking over, he saw a small figure dressed all in black, standing by the light switch, watching him.

Instinct's taking over, he reached for his gun. As he did though, the person sprang into action. Rushing forward the person jumped into the air, flipping forward and landing on his desk, stepping on his hand as he grabbed his gun. Looking up in surprise, the person shook their finger at him. Gordon moved to pull his gun away when he felt something placed against the back of his head, accompanied by a clicking noise.

"Don't move," he heard a man whisper from behind him. Gordon immediately froze up. As he did, the person in front of him slid his gun from his grip. Flipping it up with their foot, the person caught the gun. They quickly unholstered it, tossing the holster away. Pushing a button, they pulled out the magazine before emptying the chamber. Tossing the gun away, they sat on the table, flicking the bullets out of the magazine as the person watched Gordon.

"You're a good cop," the man behind him stated, "One of the few."

"What do you want?" Gordon asked.

"We're starting something, Detective," the man explained, "A crusade if you will. We're going to take this city back from the criminals and the corrupt, but we need your help."

"My help?" Gordon asked, confused.

"Yes," the man replied, "You have the information. You're a good cop Gordon, but you can't be the only one."

"I'm not," Gordon replied nervously.

"Who else, Gordon. I need names," the man growled.

"There's Castle and Bishop, their partners, never been on the take. Good cops," Gordon explained, "There's also Montoya and Allen. They just became detectives, still more wide-eyed then some people would like. Harvey Bullock is on the straight and narrow too, though you wouldn't know it by looking at him."

"Good, keep an eye on them," the man said, "Keep them clean."

"None of this means anything if you don't have a clean judge and ADA," Gordon argued, "The Kingpin and his thugs have paid up with all the right people."

"Not everyone. Matt Murdock and Harvey Dent are your men in the DA's office," the man explained, "As for the judges, let me handle that."

"Who are you two?" Gordon asked, eyeing the person in front of him as they slipped off the front of the desk and laid the now empty magazine in front of him.

"Watch for our sign," the man replied enigmatically as he pulled the object away from Gordon's head.

"You're just two people," Gordon stated as the small figure disappeared into the shadows.

"Now we're three," the man whispered back.

"We?" Gordon asked after a moment of silence. Turning around, he found no one behind him. Flicking on his desk light, he saw the small figure was gone as well. Seeing his window open, he ran to it and looked up the fire escape outside, seeing the two people quickly scaling it.

Rushing towards the door, Gordon ran for the stairs, grabbing some other officers as he did. By the time he reached the roof, the two people had reached it as well. They spared him a glance before turning and running.

"Freeze!" Gordon shouted as he chased after them, two patrol men behind him with their guns drawn, "Don't move!"

In response, the two of them continued running, hopping up onto the air conditioning units. Before any of the officers could stop them, they turned and ran to the edge of the building before leaping off. Gordon and the two officers watched stunned as they fell through the air.

Bruce hit the fire escape on the next building hard, grabbing onto the side of a landing and knocking it lose. Turning around, he grabbed Cassandra with one hand as she fell. Their combined wait tore the landing completely loose, causing it to break away. Bruce tossed Cassandra onto the next landing as he flipped over and grabbed onto it himself while the piece he knocked loose fell to the crowd with a loud clatter. Pulling himself up, he sat down with a groan of pain next to Cassandra, who was trying to catch her breath.

"Well, that could have gone better," he muttered.

_The next day_

Bruce walked into the vast storing area of the Applied Sciences division and up to Lucius Fox's desk.

"Well, what is it today?" Lucius asked as he turned to face Bruce, "More spelunking?"

"No," Bruce replied, "Today it's BASE jumping."

"BASE jumping," Lucius repeated. Bruce nodded.

"That like parachuting?" Lucius asked.

"Kind of," Bruce replied, "Do you have any light weight fabrics?"

"You know, I think I have just the thing," Lucius answered as he stood up from his desk.

A few minutes later, the two men stood in front of another heavy duty case as Lucius opened it. Reaching in, he pulled out a long length of black cloth and laid it on the table.

"It's called memory cloth," Lucius explained, "Notice anything?"

Bruce shrugged as Lucius reached into the box and retrieved a black glove with a few diodes on the palm and fingers.

"Regularly flexible," Lucius said as he pushed a button on the glove, causing it to hum with power, "but run a current through it,"

Lucius touched the cloth, causing it to spring up and go rigid as the electricity passed through it.

"The molecules realign and it becomes rigid," Lucius finished.

"What kind of shapes can it make?" Bruce asked, looking at the cloth in wonder.

"It can be tailored to fit any structure based on a rigid skeleton," Lucius explained.

"To expensive for the army?" Bruce questioned.

"I don't think they tried to market it to the billionaire, spelunking, BASE jumping crowd," Lucius stated.

"Look, Mr. Fox," Bruce said turning to Lucius.

"Yes, sir?" Lucius asked.

"If you're uncomfortable…" Bruce began.

"Mr. Wayne," Lucius said, cutting Bruce off, "if you don't want to tell me exactly what you're doing, when I'm asked, I don't have to lie. But don't think of me as an idiot."

"Fair enough," Bruce said with a nod, before he turned and looked to his side, "What's that?"

Looking over, Lucius saw a large vehicle sitting a few feet away. It looked like a mixture between a tank and jeep, with a low, heavily armored cab and four, large wheels. A jet thruster was located on the back.

"The Tumbler?" Lucius asked with a smile, "Oh you wouldn't be interested in that."

_Later_

The Tumbler shot around a large open hanger, its desert camouflage cab gleaming under the fluorescent lights. Inside the two person cockpit, Bruce and Lucius sat at the controls, with Bruce in the driver's seat.

"She was built as a bridging vehicle," Lucius explained, talking over the roar of the engines, "During combat, two of these would jump over a river, towing cables."

"Over hear on the throttle," he said grabbing the throttle and flipping a hatch on the side, revealing a button, "Flip that open and throttle up. This will boost you into a rampless jump."

Bruce reached down and pushed the button, causing the thruster to spring to life.

"Not now!" Lucius shouted as the Tumbler took off at twice the speed it had been going at before.

"Not now, sir," Lucius said as he took Bruce's hand off the thruster. Bruce smiled as Lucius shook his head with a sigh.

"We never did get the damn bridge to work," Lucius commented, "but this baby works just fine."

Sliding to a stop, Bruce let out an appreciative whistle as he powered the Tumbler down.

"So what do you think?" Lucius asked with a smile.

"Does it come in black?" Bruce questioned as he turned to look at Lucius, a devilish smirk on his face.

A/N: Fun chapter to write here, got to show off a lot of the different characters in this one. Also have to point out one of the reasons I like Nolan's Batman so much is his Bruce feels more human than most depictions. He's not completely bottled up emotionally, and it's nice to see that not all of the playboy Bruce is just a persona. I've been trying to show that in my writings, that he can be stern and no nonsense when it's called for but he's a nice guy deep down. Hope you liked it! Please review! Later True Believers!


	16. First Blood

**Chapter 16: First Blood**

_I've gotta make a stand_

_But I am just a man_

_(I'm not superhuman)_

_My voice will be heard today_

-Skillet, "Hero"

_ December 14__th__, 2011, Wayne Manor caves_

"Nice car," Tony commented, observing the jet black Tumbler sitting in front of him, "Very subtle. What's the mileage?"

"What do I owe this visit to, Tony?" Bruce asked, crossing his arms and smiling at Tony.

"What, I can't just drop in on my best friend in his secret vigilante cave?" Tony asked.

Bruce merely raised an eyebrow at him.

"Fine, fine," Tony sighed, holding up his hands, "I finished the kid's suit."

"I'm still not sure a copy of what I'm wearing is the right thing for Cassandra," Bruce commented.

"That's why I didn't make a copy," Tony replied with a smirk.

"Excuse me?" Bruce asked.

"Follow me and see what spare time and idle hands have wrought," Tony said with a laugh while gesturing for Bruce to follow him.

Leading him over to one of the work benches on which a large black case sat, Tony walked up to it and opened it before showing its contents to Bruce. Inside was a black bodysuit much like Bruce's but it seemed much more flexible and light. Pulling it out, Tony displayed it for Bruce, showing it was the appropriate size to fit Cassandra.

"What's it made out of? Kevlar bioweave?" Bruce asked, feeling the suit.

"Nanoweave," Tony replied.

"Nanoweave?" Bruce questioned.

"Something of my own design, based off of went into making your suit," Tony explained, "It's lighter and almost as tough. It absorbs blunt force and tears just as well as yours but isn't as bullet resistant. Also comes with a mask, though I made it a full face one, unlike yours."

"Tony, my suit costs hundreds of thousands of dollars to make," Bruce explained, "How could you just make a similar one in your spare time."

"You are greatly underestimating what I can do in my basement," Tony stated simply, before pulling out a cape fit for the suit, "This was the easier part, same stuff that makes up your cape, even cut it like you wanted."

"Thanks Tony," Bruce said, slapping Tony on the shoulder, "I don't know what I'd do without you."

"Probably get a little girl shot," Tony replied with a shrug, "Also I made those bracers with the edges. What are they for?"

"The League of Shadows uses them for close combat, they're for blocking weapons like a sword," Bruce explained.

"Well let's see what the kid thinks," Tony stated.

_Later_

Cassandra stood in front of a mirror, examining how she looked in her new suit. Bruce noticed that the suit seemed to cling to Cassandra's figure more then he felt comfortable with. Cassandra smiled as she twirled in place, looking as her cape fluttered as she spun. She then clenched her fists, experimenting with the gloves. Finally, she bent over backwards to experiment with the flexibility of the suit, before straightening up into a handstand.

"I take it you like it?" Tony asked with a smile.

Flipping back to her feet, she turned and nodded at him, smiling.

"Well, there you go," Tony said as he gestured at her, smiling at Bruce.

"And you're sure it will work?" Bruce asked.

"Hey, it's me," Tony replied smugly, "And if it doesn't work, it has a money back guarantee."

"We didn't pay anything for it, Tony," Bruce observed.

"Oh, that might be a problem then," he joked as Bruce grinned.

_Later_

Bruce sat at one of the work tables in the cave, working at a grindstone. His suit sat nearby. He had cut the repelling harness off of it, leaving only the belt. The cape hung nearby, having been cut to resemble a bat's wings when unfurled. Holding one of his shuriken against the grindstone, he slowly carved it into the vague shape of a bat.

"Why bats, Master Bruce?" Alfred asked as he walked up.

"Bats frighten me," Bruce replied simply, "It's time my enemies share my dread."

Alfred smiled at that, as Bruce picked up the shuriken and hurled it at a wooden board nailed to the wall, the weapon sticking deep into the board.

"So what is on the schedule tonight?" Alfred asked.

"There's been chatter about a drug shipment coming in at the docks tonight," Bruce explained.

"And you no doubt intend to disrupt it?" Alfred asked. Bruce turned and smiled at him in response.

"Very well, I'll go make sure Miss Cassandra is prepared," Alfred said simply before walking off.

_Later_

Snow fell slowly on the docks by the Gotham Bay. A group of men, dressed in nondescript, winter clothing were loading large boxes from a metal transport container onto a waiting truck. As they worked, a black SUV pulled up and stopped next to the truck. The door opened and a man stepped out, causing the SUV to lurch as the weight shifted within it.

The man who stepped out was practically a giant, standing close to seven and a half feet tall and brimming with muscle. He wore a thick white coat over white pants and black leather shoes. He wore black gloves on his massive hands and a white scarf around his neck. A white fedora over his short black hair completed the look. He pulled out a thick cigar and lit it before putting it in his mouth, the smoke obscuring his brown eyes.

"Who the hell is that?" one of the men asked, stopping to stare at the giant man.

"Are you dense or something?" another replied in a hushed whisper, "That's the Big Man. He's the Kingpin's right hand man and the leader of the Enforcers."

"What's he doing here?" the first asked.

"Probably making sure we don't screw this up," the second said, "Now hurry up and get back to work."

Then men continued to work under the watchful eye of the Big Man, who continued smoking his cigar. One of the men went back to the container to get to the next box. As he reached in to grab a box, he suddenly got yanked in. He let out a cry of surprise before there was a large bang and he disappeared into the darkness.

The other men looked over at the source of the sound with a mixture of confusion and surprise. Big Man looked over as well, before glancing at the men and nodding at the container, urging them to investigate.

"Hey. Stiess," one of the men called, walking towards the container.

Two of the men moved towards the container as the rest hung back with the Big Man. The container was eerily silent as they approached, guns drawn.

"Stiess?" the man asked again, hesitantly.

Suddenly, two of the overhanging lights illuminating the dockyard burst before something metallic fell to the ground. Reaching down, one of the men picked up the item, a bat-shaped shuriken. He looked at it in confusion, before looking back at his partner, who was staring straight up.

"What is it?" he asked, before looking up as well.

Above them something was hanging from the crane above them. Actually two somethings. They looked like some nightmarish cross between people and bats.

"What the hell?" he whispered before suddenly the two figures dropped and descended on them. The sounds of their screams echoed back to the men by the truck.

Reaching into his coat, the Big Man pulled out a large hand gun, as the others pulled out automatic weapons. As they looked around, they heard the sound of people moving just out of sight, or the glimpses of shadows darting between the containers.

"Fan out," Big Man ordered in a gruff voice.

The men slowly spread out, holding their guns at the ready. Noises continued to echo around them, causing the men to jump. Seeing a shadow, one of the men turned and fired off a few rounds of bullets, hitting nothing. Hearing another noise behind him, he fired off a few more, becoming increasingly frightened.

"Where are you!" he screamed, looking around.

"Here," he heard a feminine voice whisper right behind him. The man screamed as he whirled around, but was engulfed in blackness before he could do anything.

The rest of the men, a dozen in number, quickly turned to look in the direction the scream had come from but found no one there. Suddenly, a shadow dropped in from behind them. Turning they found a tall, muscular man looming in front of them. He wore a jet black body suit with a utility belt around his waist and scalloped bracers on his arms. A long black cape hung from his shoulders and pooled around his feet. He wore a black cowl with long ear-like attachments, making him even more bat-like.

One of the guards moved to point his gun at Bruce, but he grabbed his wrist before punching him in his locked elbow, snapping it. The man screamed in pain as the masked man kicked him in the side, sending him falling to the ground. A second guard moved to point his automatic weapon at Bruce but he grabbed it and pointed it upwards, causing the man to shoot straight into the air. He followed by punching the man in the face and kicking him in the chest, knocking the thug to the ground and disarming him.

Another man pointed his gun at Bruce but he used the other man's gun to smack his gun to the side before smacking him in the face with the butt of the other guard's gun, knocking him to the ground with a busted nose. Bruce quickly removed the ammo clip from the gun before tossing it aside. As another thug moved to shoot him, he reached for his belt and drew a shuriken before throwing it at the man, hitting him in the hand. The man screamed in pain as he dropped his weapon. As another man shot at him, Bruce ducked before back flipping over the man. As the thug adjusted his aim, Bruce whirled around and kicked the gun from his hand, before following up with a punch to the man's jaw, sending him sprawling. As another man tried to shoot him, Bruce drew another shuriken and threw it at the man, hitting him in the shoulder and forcing him to drop his gun.

As he did this, two more thugs turned their guns towards him. Before they could pull the triggers, a figure leapt up between them and did a split kick, striking them both in the jaws, breaking them and knocking them to the ground. As she landed, two of the remaining men turned to look at the figure. What they found was a small, slightly feminine figure wearing a suit similar to the man's, but made of lighter material. She also wore a mask that, though similar in design, completely covered her face.

One of the thugs aimed an automatic weapon at her, but she leapt high into the air as he fired it. Twirling as she fell, she landed behind the man, before driving her elbow into his back. The man gasped in pain, as he bent backwards. As he did, Cassandra wrapped her arm around his neck before slamming him onto the ground. As the man groaned, she drove her fist into his face, knocking him out.

As she stood up, a group of three thugs started to open fire on her. She jumped into the air again, twirling around to avoid their bullets. She landed between the three men, forcing them to stop firing. Running at one of them, she leapt into the air and flipped around, wrapping her legs around his neck. As she grabbed him, she swung herself around, before flipping back upright while flipping the man onto his back and landing on her feet.

As the man recovered, she flipped forward, wrapping her legs around another thug's neck before pulling herself up and punching him in the face. As he reeled, she unwrapped her legs from his neck and flipped around to face the ground, grabbing the man by the shoulders and slamming him onto the ground, face first.

As the third thug aimed his gun at her, Cassandra drew her grappling hook before firing it at his feet. The cable wrapped itself around his leg, allowing Cassandra to yank on it and pull the man off his feet, causing him to fall hard on his back. As this happened, the first man pulled himself to his feet and ran at Cassandra. Seeing him coming, Cassandra ran at the man while pulling the cable taut, before ducking low and tripping the man with it, causing him to flip onto his back. Standing over him, she lifted her foot up to her head before dropping it onto his stomach, making sure he stayed down.

Bruce moved over to Cassandra as five of the thugs recovered, one pulling a shuriken out of his hand, another out of his shoulder, while a third untangled the cable around his feet. One rushed at Bruce, throwing a punch at him. Instead, Bruce grabbed the man's fist, before crushing it, forcing the man to his knees before Bruce kneed him in the face and knocked him out. As another charged at Cassandra, he threw a fist at her, but she ducked out of the way before he could connect. Thrusting her palm forward, she buried it in the man's gut, knocking all the wind out of his lungs. She followed up by chopping him in the neck, causing the man to collapse to the ground in a fit of chocking coughs.

As another man attacked him, Bruce dodged his fist before burying his own in the man's stomach. As the man doubled over in pain, Bruce wrapped his arm around the man's neck, before turning so the man's head rested on his shoulder. Pulling down, he flipped the man over and slammed him face first on the ground. As the man tried to pick himself up, Bruce slammed his foot onto his back, ensuring he stayed down.

Cassandra ran at one of the last thugs, hopping into the air and planting one foot on his chest before planting her other foot on his face. Lifting up her other foot, she put both on his face, before jumping off, the force of her attack knocking him to the ground where he hit his head and fell unconscious. Meanwhile, Cassandra flipped through the air, flying towards Bruce. As she did, the remaining thug was charging at him. As the thug reached him, Bruce hit him in the face with a round house kick, causing the man to stumble back in the direction he had come. As he did, Bruce turned around and grabbed Cassandra with both arms as she flew through the air. Whirling around with her, he grabbed her hands with his, before letting go of her body as he finished his spin, causing her to lash out and kick the thug in the back of the head sending him sprawling. As he fell, Bruce whirled around again and threw Cassandra into the air. She flipped around and unfurled her cape as she fell, slowing her decent. As she got close to the ground, she closed her cape and landed hard on the back of the last thug, ensuring he stayed down.

The thugs groaned in pain around the two, each in various states of consciousness. As Bruce and Cassandra surveyed the damage they had done, they heard the sound of a gun being cocked. The two whirled around to find the Big Man still standing by his SUV, his massive handgun pointed at them in one hand and his cigar in the other.

"Pretty impressive," he said in a deep voice, "You took down my guys like they were standing still. Who the hell are you two anyway?"

Bruce and Cassandra merely glared at the Big Man in response, saying nothing.

"Quite types, huh?" he asked, "Well since this is your first offence, I'll cut you a deal. This town belongs to the Kingpin. Hell, practically this whole country belongs to the Kingpin. But Gotham City is his home sweet home, and nobody steps on his toes here. But you impressed me just now, so I'll give you a deal. Come work for the Kingpin, he's always looking for new talent like you. I should know, I'm his right hand man. So what do you say?"

Bruce and Cassandra glared at him for a few more moments before Bruce's hand shot out, flinging a shuriken at him. It hit right on Big Man's gun, knocking it from the large man's hand. He looked at the gun in surprise, before turning back to look at the two. When he did, he caught a glimpse of Cassandra flying through the air at him before she kicked him hard in the face. He grunted in pain as he stumbled back while Cassandra bounced off of him and landed a few feet away.

"Fine, if that's the way you want to play it," Big Man growled as he turned back to Cassandra, "Then that's the way we'll play it."

Cassandra rushed at the Big Man, leaping into the air to deliver another kick.

"Not this time, missy!" Big Man shouted as his hand shout out and wrapped around Cassandra's leg, before he whirled her around and threw her at his SUV, causing her to crash into it and roll across the hood before falling to the ground. As this happened, Bruce rushed at the Big Man, throwing a fist at his stomach. The larger man barely flinched as the blow impacted. He grinned savagely at Bruce.

"Sorry, little man," Big Man mocked, "Not quite enough."

Swinging his massive fist at Bruce, he punched him in the gut, sending him rolling across the ground. As Big Man stomped over to where Bruce was, Cassandra leapt off his car and landed on his back, wrapping her arms around his neck in a choke hold. Big Man was surprised as he felt himself being choked, so he quickly grabbed Cassandra's hands and broke her hold before flipping her over and holding her aloft in front of him.

Big Man grinned at her, but Cassandra ignored him and quickly reached for her belt and pulled out a shuriken. Swiping at him, she cut Big Man across his forehead, drawing blood as Big Man shouted in surprise and pain. He tossed her away, sending her rolling across the hard ground as blood dripped from his wound into his eyes.

Wiping it away, he found Bruce practically on top of him. Before he could react, Bruce leapt into the air and buried both of his feet into the Big Man's gut, knocking the wind out of him and doubling the larger man over. Landing in a handstand, Bruce followed up with a kick to Big Man's face, sending him stumbling back over to his car.

As the Big Man recovered, Bruce rushed him, bringing his hands together before striking Big Man on the chin, snapping his head back. At the same time, Cassandra rushed over to Bruce and leapt onto his shoulders before springboarding off of them. Soaring through the air, she flew above Big Man's head before cocking her arm back and punching him hard in his exposed face. The force of the blow caused Big Man to fall, right onto the hood of his SUV, crushing it under his weight. Cassandra landed nimbly a few feet away before walking over to Bruce as he approached Big Man.

"Who the hell are you?" Big Man coughed as he struggled to sit up. Bruce stopped him by grabbing the man's coat and lifted him up so they were staring into each other's eyes.

"I'm Batman," Bruce replied with a gravelly voice, before punching Big Man hard in the face, knocking him out.

"Let's get to work," Bruce said to Cassandra as he turned to her. She nodded and began to help Bruce pull the Big Man off the hood of his car.

_Later_

Police cars had surrounded the dock, their lights illuminating it. Police officers and detectives wandered around the area, trying to make sense of the scene before them. The thugs had been tied up around their truck, the contents of which had been spilled open for all to see. The Big Man however was tied to a spotlight nearby, which had been left on.

Jim Gordon stood near the spotlight, observing the unconscious criminal. Looking up at the sky, he could see the image of the spotlight's beam on a passing cloud. Strangely, it seemed to resemble the outline of a bat in flight.

"What do you think, Jim?" a hoarse voice asked to his side. Turning to look at the source, he found a heavy set man a few years younger than him. He has short, unkempt hair he hid under a brown fedora, along with brown eyes and unshaven stubble. He wore a dirty white shirt under a brown trench coat, along with brown pants and scuffed black shoe.

"I think it's a sign, Harvey" Jim responded cryptically.

"A sign?" Harvey asked, looking at Jim with a confused expression, "A sign for what?"

"Change," Jim replied before turning to some of the other police officers, "I want all these men handcuffed and on their way to lockup. Everyone else start gathering evidence."

"You sure this is a good idea, Jim?" Harvey asked, slightly nervous, "I mean, that's the Big Man, he's Kingpin's chief lieutenant. What makes you think we can do anything about this?"

"Times are changing," Jim replied, "It's time we start cleaning up this town."

"That's why you brought me instead of Flass, huh?" Harvey asked with a chuckle.

"He was strangely absent," Jim replied with a smirk.

"I hope you're right about all this, Jim," Harvey stated as he looked over the Big Man.

"So do I, Harvey" Jim said as he looked up at the beam above them again, "So do I."

_The next day_

Cassandra hissed as she sat on the bed in her room while Alfred inspected her wounds.

"For all of Master Stark's genius, I feel you took a few to many injuries, Ms. Cassandra," he said as he wrapped a bandage around her chest. Cassandra merely shrugged before hissing in pain again.

"Do you think this is worth it, Master Bruce?" Alfred asked as he turned to look at Bruce who was standing in the doorway.

"The people arrested Big Man at the bust last night," Bruce explained, "Seems like Gordon's on board, and I believe he'll talk to either Murdock or Dent in the DA to prosecute."

"That won't mean much if they can't find an uncorrupted judge to rule a hearing," Alfred observed.

"I'll take care of that, don't worry," Bruce replied, before he heard the doorbell ring, "I'll go take care of that, you finish up with her."

Alfred nodded in reply and went back to his work, while Bruce turned from the door and made his way through the mansion to the front door. When he got there, he found Kathy waiting for him.

"Hey Bruce," she greeted him with a smile.

"Hey Kathy," he greeted in return with a smile of his own as he let her in "What can I do for you?"

"Well, I wanted to talk to you about something important," she replied, her smile dropping a bit.

"What's that?" he asked.

"You haven't formally adopted Cassandra, have you?" she asked bluntly.

"No, I haven't," Bruce admitted.

"Don't you want to?" she asked.

"Of course!" Bruce defended, "There are just some problems."

"Like how you smuggled her into the country?" she asked.

"How did you know about that?" he asked with surprise.

"Because you just told me," she responded with a smirk as Bruce let out a sigh, "Besides, I bet you didn't even stamp your passport when you came back anyway."

"Didn't have one," Bruce explained with a shrug, "So what do you think I should do?"

"Well, I take it you already got the proper papers for her to be in the country, legality aside," she stated, "So what we really need to focus on is telling people you have a pre-teen girl living with you."

"Yeah, need to be careful with that," Bruce agreed.

"I'll handle that," Kathy assured him, "What you need to do is get to work on the adoption papers. Can I trust you to do that?"

"Yeah, I can do that," Bruce replied with a smirk.

"We'll then get to work, you have a daughter to adopt," she said, shooing him away, "Now where she is my soon-to-be niece?"

A/N: Finally some true Batman action! Hope you guys liked this chapter, it was a fun one to write. Please review! Later True Believers!


	17. Hot Off the Presses

**Chapter 17: Hot Off the Presses**

_As a reporter, I approach every situation knowing that everyone has his or her own agenda. It's not a bad thing; it's just a fact._

-Maria Bartiromo

_December 15__th__, 2011, the Gotham Gazette _

The musty, slightly dirty offices of the Gotham Gazette were abuzz with activity. It wasn't every day that a drug deal was busted by a masked vigilante after all. Men and women ran between desks, passing information in every direction.

Caught up in the mayhem was a young woman, who seemed quite lost. She had long, straight, red hair along with emerald eyes and a few freckles on her face. She wore a long brown coat over her blue blouse and black skirt, along with black, high heeled shoes.

"Um, excuse me," she said to one person, but they passed her by. Turning to another, she tried to catch their attention, but they ignored her as well. Getting frustrated, she turned to try and find someone else, but she instead bumped into someone.

Looking up, she saw a young man standing in front of her. He had short black hair and brown eyes. He was dressed in a black jacket over a white shirt along with brown pants and brown shoes.

"Whoa there!" the man said, catching her as she began to stumble.

"Oh my God, I'm so sorry," the woman said, embarrassment on her face.

"Don't worry about it, kind of creeped up on you accidentally," the man said waving it off, "I don't think we've met. Name's Jack Ryder."

"I'm Vicki Vale," she introduced herself, "I'm new here."

"The confused and lost look on your face was a big hint," Jack joked.

"Yeah, just trying to find my way around," she replied with a chuckle.

"Well, I can show you around if you like?" Jack suggested.

"Well I should really be meeting with the editor," Vicki said as she thought it over.

"You can do that latter," Jack explained, "Besides, he's probably busy right now anyway."

"Yeah, I noticed," Vicki commented, "What's going on anyway?"

"You haven't heard?" Jack asked, surprised, "Someone dressed up as a bat broke up a drug deal last night and beat up the Kingpin of Crime's chief lieutenant."

"Wow," Vicki said, surprised, "That is some news."

"You know it," Jack replied with a chuckle, "So you want me to show you around?"

"I'd like that," Vicky answered with a smile.

"Then follow me," Jack said with a smile of his own, before motioning her to follow him.

Jack quickly showed her around the offices of the Gotham Gazette, taking her through the printing rooms, the news rooms and everything in between. Eventually, they came to a cubicle that seemed removed from the others.

"You might want to let me go in first," Jack said as they approached.

"Why's that?" Vicki asked.

"Vic is…let's say intense," Jack said after a pause.

"Intense?" Vicki questioned.

"Vic isn't the most social person in the world," Jack explained, "What he is great at though, is sniffing out secrets. The problem is he can really get into it, even forgetting basic necessities."

"Basic necessities?" Vicki asked.

"Things like eating," Jack continued, "And bathing."

"Oh, wow," Vicki said with surprise.

"Yeah, he's a bit of a character," Jack replied as he made his way towards the cubicle, "You stay here, and I'll signal you when it's safe for you to come over."

"Alright," Vicki answered nervously.

As he walked up to the cubicle, Jack peaked in. Inside, the small office space looked like a hurricane had swept through it. News clippings and sticky notes were flung over every available surface, with various strings tying connecting them. Inside the proverbial eye of the hurricane sat a man in a swivel chair, his eyes locked onto his computer screen.

He had short, messy, red hair with green eyes and pale, freckled skin and stubble on his chin. He wore a wrinkled white shirt with the sleeves rolled up and a necktie hanging loosely from around his neck. He also wore a pair of dirty black pants and scuffed brown shoes. He typed furiously on the computer's keyboard, apparently unaware of Jack standing a few feet away.

"Can I help you with something, Ryder?" he asked as Jack was about to start talking, catching the other man off guard and causing him to jump slightly.

"Just wanted to stop by, see how my buddy was doing," Jack explained as he stepped into the cubicle, "What are you working on?"

"Looking into this Batman character," Vic replied, not looking away from the computer screen.

"You and everyone else," Jack commented.

"Hrm," Vic grunted.

"That said, I'm sure if there's anything worth finding, you'll do it," Jack said, patting Vic on the shoulder.

"Hrm," Vic grunted again.

"So hey," Jack said, moving on to a new subject, "I was showing this new girl at the office around and figured you'd want to meet her."

"Not really," Vic replied.

"Good, I'll bring her in," Jack said, ignoring Vic's response and signaling for Vicki to come up.

"Um, hi, Victor," Vicki said as she stepped into view, waving her hand weakly.

Victor turned his chair to look at her, his intense gaze fixed directly on her. Vicki shifted uncomfortably as she felt Vic looking her over.

"She won't last a week," Vic surmised before turning back to his computer.

"Hey!" Vicki shouted, glaring at the back of Vic's head.

"Don't mind him," Jack said, trying to soothe her, "Like I said, Vic's not really a people person."

"Hrm," Vic grunted.

"He still doesn't have to be so rude," she whispered to Jack.

"The truth hurts," Vic grunted again, surprising them both.

"We should probably leave him alone now," Jack whispered, "he's getting grumpy."

Jack led Vicki away, showing her around the rest of the office. Eventually, they came to another cubicle, this one near the middle of the area.

"And this is where I work," Jack said as he sat in the now empty seat. As he did, the man sitting in the cubicle across from him turned around. He was a shorter man, with a bald head and brown eyes he hid behind a pair of glasses. He wore a black leather jacket over a white, button up shirt and brown pants with brown shoes.

"Hey Ryder," he said, catching Jack's attention, "Who's the new girl?"

"This is Vicki Vale, our new reporter," Jack explained, "Vicki, I'd like you to meet Ben Ulrich, the Gazette's oldest news hound."

"I ain't that old, Ryder," Ben argued.

"It's good to meet you, Mr. Ulrich," Vicki greeted him, extending her hand out.

"Good to meet you too, kid," Ben replied, shaking her hand, "And none of this Mr. Ulrich crap. Just because I've been here longer doesn't make me better then you."

"Alright, Ben," Vicki said with a smile, "Well, I think I should be meeting with the editor now."

"Don't let him intimidate you," Ben advised as he turned back to what he was doing.

"I'll see you around," Jack said with a smile.

"Yeah, see you," she grinned back, waving as she left. She walked across the room, coming up to the editor's office. She knocked on the door, before someone inside told her to enter.

The office within was large and open with a large desk sitting on the opposite side of the room. Behind it sat a man in his middle ages, with a bald head, stubble and brown eyes. He wore a shirt rolled up to his sleeves along with brown pants. He looked up at Vicki as she entered.

"Vale right?" he asked.

"Yes sir," Vicki replied.

"Good come in," he said, "I was just finishing up my conversation with Ms. Kane here."

Turning to her side, Vicki saw Kathy Kane sitting in a chair facing the editor's desk.

"Hello Ms. Vale," Kathy greeted, "I'm-"

"Kathy Kane," Vicki said instantly, "The current owner of Kane Chemicals."

"Well, someone's been doing their homework," Kathy commented with a chuckle.

"It's part of the job," Vicki said with a shrug.

"That attitude is what I was talking to Ms. Kane about, Vale," the editor stated, "That's why I hired you before anyone else could. You got eyes for the facts, Vale."

"You said you were talking about me?" Vicki asked, confused.

"Yes, you see, Ms. Kane's got a story to tell, and, even though you're new here, I think you're just the reporter we need for this story," the editor explained.

"R-Really?" Vicki asked excitedly, "I'd love to! Thank you, sir."

"Don't thank me, thank Ms. Kane here," the editor explained, nodding towards Kathy.

"Thank you, Ms. Kane," Vicki said, turning and smiling at her.

"No need to thank me," Kathy said, waving it off, "I think the editor's right, you got the right outlook for this story."

"So what is the story, if you don't mind me asking?" Vicki asked.

"When Bruce Wayne came back to Gotham City, he didn't come alone," Kathy explained, "He brought back with him a girl."

"A girl?" Vicki asked surprised.

"Yes, just a child and he means to adopt her," Kathy explained further.

"Oh wow, that's wonderful!" Vicki exclaimed.

"It is," Kathy agreed, "Which is why we wanted to be very careful in how he announced it."

"I swear I will give him the most honest story he could have," Vicki promised her.

"That's good to hear, Ms. Vale," Kathy said as she stood up and made her way to the door, "Come by Wayne Manor in a few days, and you can have your interview."

"Of course!" Vicki said eagerly before Kathy left, closing the door behind her.

"Hell of a first day, Vale," the editor commented with a chuckle.

"You don't know the half of it," Vicki assured him.

_Meanwhile, across town_

If there was one building that rivaled the Stark-Wayne Tower for its domination of the Gotham skyline, it was Fisk Tower. An imposing behemoth of metal, glass and concrete, it overshadowed the buildings around it, mimicking the shadow of the Kingpin's power over the city and the people within it.

At the very top of the tower was Fisk's office, a massive room decorated with fine furniture and works of art. Fisk stood by a large window, looking out at the city as his lieutenant stood behind him, explaining the events of the previous night.

"So it's like I said boss," Big Man explained nervously, fidgeting with his hat in his hands, "These two guys, one way smaller than the other, show up, dressed like bats! They beat all of my guys without breaking a sweat, then took me to task too! I swear I saw one of them shrug off a bullet. They almost didn't seem human."

"Calm yourself , Mr. Foswell," the Kingpin said calmly as he continued to gaze out the window, "These were men. Well armed, well trained men, but men all the same. The important thing is somebody wants to disrupt my business. And they wanted me to know it. I can't be having that kind of disrespect, can't have someone making me look weak. Already I hear there is movement in the police department and the DA's office involving your arrest."

"What do we do about it, boss?" Big Man asked.

"We snuff this problem out," Kingpin said grimly, "We'll have people deal with these police and lawyers. As for this "Batman" you and your Enforcers will take with him."

"How will we find him?" Big Man asked.

"You won't," Kingpin stated, "He'll find you. Get the Untouchables together, get them to do a job. Doesn't matter what, just make sure it's big and the underworld knows about it. I think you can figure out the rest."

"I'm on it, boss," Big Man replied, putting his hat back on and turning to leave.

"And Mr. Foswell," Kingpin called, stopping the Big Man in his tracks, "If you fail me again, I'll make you wish I hadn't baled you out of prison."

Big Man gulped before he continued on his way, leaving the Kingpin to watch over the city alone.

A/N: Bit of filler, I know, but it was good to introduce these new character, as well as fill in on the plot some more. Also, before you ask, though the members are actual characters from the comics, the team of the Untouchables is just something I came up with. Hope you guys like it! Please review! Later, True Believers!


	18. Enforcement

**Chapter 18: Enforcement**

_Assassination is the extreme form of censorship._

-George Bernard Shaw

_December 20__th__, Wayne Manor_

Cassandra looked uncertainly at her reflection in the mirror in her room. She was wearing a simple blue dress with short sleeves and a skirt that came down just past her knees. She also wore white stockings and black shoes. Her hair was held up in a small ponytail by a black ribbon. She smoothed out a crease in her dress as she looked herself over again.

"I agree Ms. Cassandra," Alfred stated with a smirk, "It's not really your style is it? Still, you have to look presentable for this reporter. It's an important day today."

Cassandra sighed as she played with her dress before nodding. As she did, the doorbell rang, catching both of their attentions.

"Well, it seems the appointed hour has arrived," Alfred stated, before turning to the door, "Come along, Ms. Cassandra."

Cassandra sighed as she followed Alfred as he left her room. They made their way to the first floor, as Cassandra went to the living room where Bruce was waiting as well. Alfred walked up to the door and opened it, letting Vicki Vale in.

"Ms. Vale, I presume?" Alfred asked.

"Yes, I take it you're the butler?" Vicki replied.

"I am. My name is Alfred Pennysworth," he explained, "If you follow me, I will bring you to see Master Bruce."

"Lead the way," Vicki said friendly.

Walking through the mansion, they came to the living room where two couches flanked the fireplace, over which a painting of Bruce's parents hung. On one of the couches Bruce and Cassandra sat, waiting patiently.

"Master Bruce," Alfred said, announcing himself, "Ms. Veronica Vale from the Gotham Gazette is here to see you."

"Thank you, Alfred," Bruce thanked him. Alfred nodded and left while Vicki walked over to them.

"It's good to meet you, Mr. Wayne," Vicki said as she held out her hand to him.

"The pleasure's all mine, Ms. Vale," Bruce replied with a smile, shaking her hand, "And please, call me Bruce."

"Alright. Well in that case, call me Vicki," Vicki said with a smile before turning to Cassandra, "And what's your name?"

"Cass…andra," Cassandra replied nervously.

"Cassandra?" Vicki repeated, earning a nod from the girl, "That's a very pretty name."

Cassandra smiled in response to the compliment.

"Shall we begin then?" Vicki asked, sitting on the other couch and opening up the bag she had brought with her, pulling out a recording device.

"Of course," Bruce replied.

"So Bruce, since your return to Gotham, people have been wondering where you've the past seven years. Care to elaborate?" Vicki asked, holding the recording device up so it would record Bruce.

"I've been doing a little soul searching, and a little sightseeing all over the world. I went here or there, wherever I wanted to go essentially," Bruce explained.

"Why did you wish to do that?" Vicki asked.

"Like I said, it was partially soul searching," Bruce elaborated, "I wasn't sure what I wanted to do with my life. I had all these options but no idea how to use them. It took me awhile to figure out what I wanted to do, but I finally came to a conclusion not long ago."

"And what conclusion is that?" Vicki asked.

"I want to help people, like my parents did," he answered.

"So you don't want to try your hands at running your company?" Vicki questioned.

"No, my old friend Tony Stark and the various other board members all can do that far better than I ever could" Bruce explained, "I want to follow in my parents' footsteps. The thing is, I don't have the smarts to be a doctor like my father. Luckily, I have the money to be philanthropist."

"Like your mother," Vicki guessed.

"Exactly," Bruce replied with a nod, "After what I saw in the world, I decided that I was obligated to use my money to try and make it a better place."

"That's very noble of you, Bruce," she congratulated.

"Just trying to do my part," Bruce replied simply.

"Speaking of helping people," Vicki said, "Why don't we talk about Cassandra."

"Cassandra is a very special girl I met during my travels," Bruce explained, smiling down at Cassandra, who smiled back at him.

"Is it true you plan on adopting her?" Vicki asked.

"I do," Bruce replied, placing a hand on her shoulder, causing Cassandra to smile again.

"Where is she from?" Vicki questioned.

"China," Bruce explained.

"If she's Chinese, why is her name Cassandra?" Vicki asked.

"My…mother and…father…died when I…young…" Cassandra explained, "Never had…name…"

"So did you name her?" Vicki asked Bruce.

"No…named…myself," Cassandra explained.

"We thought it best if she chose a name for herself," Bruce explained.

"How did you find her?" Vicki asked.

"I came across her in a small village in rural China," Bruce explained, "She was all alone. I believe her parents had been killed, possibly by bandits. It…struck a chord with me, for obvious reasons. I couldn't sit by and do nothing."

"Once again, that's very noble of you," Vicki said with a smile.

"Thank you," Bruce replied.

"Well, I think I have just about everything I need, Bruce," Vicki said, standing up and reaching into her bag again, "Now, if I could just have a picture of you two, I think I'll be done."

"Alright," Bruce agreed, putting his arm around Cassandra and pulling her close. They both smiled as Vicki took their picture.

"Thank you again, Bruce," Vicki thanked him, "I promise to write it exactly as you told me."

"Thank you, Vicki," he said, standing up, "Let me show you out."

"Alright," Vicki said, as they made their way out. They made their way to the door, which Bruce opened the door to let her out.

"Thanks again," Vicki said, "And good luck with your new daughter!"

Bruce merely smiled as he waved goodbye. Turning around, he saw Cassandra tugging on her dress again.

"Take…off…now?" she asked.

Bruce could only chuckle as he closed the door.

_Later_

Night had fallen over the city of Gotham. Snow fell slowly over the city, putting a fresh layer of white as far as the eye could see. All was quiet outside the First Gotham Bank. Two guards sat inside a surveillance room, watching the security broadcasts for any signs of something amiss.

"So how you liking your first night on the job, kid?" an older guard asked.

"Pretty boring," the other guard said, a man in his late twenties with black hair and brown eyes. He glanced at his cellphone before getting out of his chair, "I'm heading to the john. Be right back."

"All right," the older guard said before turning back to the monitors. Suddenly, he felt arms wrap around his neck, squeezing tightly. He tried to fight them off, but grew weaker and weaker due to lack of oxygen. Within moments, he was unconscious. The younger guard released his hold, allowing the guard to slump to the floor. The young guard put his finger to his ear, activating a communication device

"Brain, it's Façade," the man spoke, his voice changing as he did, "I'm ready on my end."

As he spoke, a black van pulled up outside the bank. Inside where five men, all dressed in black. One was behind the wheel of the car. He had short red hair and green eyes, with driving gloves in addition to his attire. Next to him was another man in the passenger's seat. He had slicked back, black hair and brown eyes, and was holding a hand to his ear.

In the back sat three other men. One wore a ski mask and a pair of goggles in addition to his uniform. The other had a shaven head and blue eyes. The final man had short blond hair and wore glasses over blue eyes.

"Alright. Turn off the cameras and open up the door Façade. Smith, Spook and Eraser are on their way in," the man in the passenger seat said into his commlink.

"Got it" Façade replied, before turning off the security cameras and making his way to the entrance. Taking a key card out, he ran it through a slot near the door, resulting in a single beep as the door unlocked. He quickly grabbed the door and opened it, allowing the three men to enter, the man with glasses carrying a pack.

"Evening gentlemen," Façade greeted them as they came in, "Let's get started, shall we?"

"Where's the vault?" the man in glasses asked.

"In the back, Smith," Façade explained before turning to the man in a mask, "Eraser, the security center is back this way."

The masked man nodded, before he followed Façade to the security center. Meanwhile, Smith and the other man, headed to the vault.

"Spook," Smith said as they reached the vault, while he reached into his bag and pulled out a few blocks of plastic explosives before handing them to the other man, "I need you to plant these along the top."

"You got it," Spook replied before climbing up the side of the vault door with impressive skill, planting plastic explosives along the top.

"Alright, Façade, how's Eraser doing?" Smith asked over the commlink.

"He's removed me from the files and erased all the video," Façade explained, "We're good to go on our end."

"Alright, we're going to blow the vault," Smith stated, "Get ready, things are about to get loud."

Smith and Spook quickly retreated a safe distance away from the vault before Smith pushed a trigger, causing the plastic explosives to explode, destroy the door's anchors. The vault door groaned before it fell over with a crash, revealing the vault within. Alarm bells sounded as the two men made their way into the vault, followed by Eraser and Façade a few seconds later.

"Alright gentlemen," Brain's voice came over their commlinks, "Grab what you can and load up, we have a schedule to keep."

_A few minutes later_

"So you think he's going to show?" Façade asked as he tossed a bag full of money into the back of the trunk.

"If he doesn't, we got a pretty big score all the same," the driver said.

"You got that right, Axel," Façade replied with a chuckle. As he did, Eraser slowly stepped out of the back of the truck, looking down the street.

"What's up, Eraser?" Brain asked.

Eraser raised a finger up in the air, asking for quiet as he continued to listen. As he did, a low rumbling could be heard in the distance. It slowly grew louder and louder.

"What the hell is that?" Façade asked as the all listened.

Suddenly, the Tumbler came roaring around the corner, its engine roaring as it approached.

"Holy crap!" Axel yelled, "What is that thing!"

"Drive!" Brain shouted, "Just drive!"

Axel slammed his foot on the gas while Eraser and Façade leapt into the back, slamming the doors shut as they took off. The Tumbler sped behind them, quickly gaining on them.

The Tumbler's engine hummed as it road up besides the van, before slamming it into the side of the van. Axel struggled to maintain control, quickly turning down another street, trying to lose the Tumbler. The Tumbler quickly turned around with grace incredible for its size before roaring down the street after the van.

"We have to get to the meeting spot!" Brain shouted.

"I'm trying! He's got a jet-propelled tank!" Axel yelled back, as he swerved around a corner, the Tumbler right on his tail. The Tumbler roared up behind the van, nudging the van in the back, nearly knocking it off course.

"There, in that garage!" Brain shouted, pointing towards an upcoming parking garage. As they neared the entrance, the Tumbler hit the back of the van again, causing it to spin out of control. As it turned to the side, the Tumbler rammed into the van again, hitting it on the side and causing it to flip. The van tumbled through the entrance of the garage, coming to a stop on its roof.

The Tumbler came to a stop next to a van, its canopy opening and Bruce and Cassandra hopped out. Bruce made his way over to the passenger door while Cassandra moved towards the back one. Opening the door, Bruce dragged Brain out, before hoisting him into the air and slamming him against the side of the overturned van.

"You're Brains, right?" Bruce growled.

"Holy crap, you're real," Brains squeaked, looking at Bruce with a pale face.

"Very," Bruce growled, "Now, why did you hit this bank?"

"To get your attention," Brain whispered.

"What!" Bruce said surprised.

As he did, there was a loud cracking sound that echo across the garage. Turning, Bruce saw Cassandra being pulled out of the back of the van, a bullwhip wrapped around her throat. Looking past her, he saw six people standing a few yards off.

Bruce instantly recognized Big Man, as well as Hammer Harrison and Ox, the two men who had beat him up in an alley all those years ago. Along with them was a shorter man with slicked back, black hair and a pencil-thin mustache. He was dressed in a black suit with brown, leather shoes and a white undershirt. Next to him was a lanky man with a pale complexion and grey eyes. He wore a black shirt and pants along with black sneakers. He twirled a butterfly knife in his right hand. The final man was tall and athletic, wearing a blue, collared shirt, brown pants and brown cowboy boots. He also wore a brown cowboy hat over his short brown hair, along with light brown eyes and slight stubble. He held the bullwhip that was wrapped around Cassandra's neck.

"Big Man," Batman growled as he let Brain drop, allowing the man to scurry away.

"Batman was it?" Big Man asked, as he drew his large handgun, "You left quite an impression on my boss. He'd like to see your head on a platter."

"So he sends his lapdogs to get it?" Bruce asked, glaring at Big Man, undeterred as the gangster pointed his gun at him.

"Lapdogs?" Big Man asked angrily, "Do you know who we are? We're the Enforcers!"

"Then let's see you enforce something," Bruce growled.

"We've already taken out your little friend," Big Man growled as he cocked his gun, "It's five on one. The odds are in our favor."

"Count again," Bruce stated simply. As he did, Cassandra grabbed hold of the bullwhip, before slicing it with the blades on her other arm. The lack of pull caused the man to stumble back into his teammates. Taking advantage of the distraction, Bruce dove behind the van while Cassandra jumped on top of it before hopping behind it. Big Man fired at them as they moved but didn't manage to hit them.

"Damn!" Big Man cursed, "Montana, take Fancy Dan and Snake and take care of the little one. Ox and Hammer, you're with me. We're going to show this bat why you don't mess with the Kingpin."

The others nodded before splitting up and heading deeper into the garage. Montana, Fancy Dan and Snake slowly circled around the van, Montana reaching for his belt and pulling out a second bullwhip. Coming around the van, they found Cassandra had disappeared, the other group finding Bruce had disappeared as well.

Dan and Snake looked at Montana, who nodded towards the garage. They slowly made their way through the garage, the fluorescent lights above them illuminating their way. They looked in every corner and shadow in the garage, searching for the girl.

Suddenly, a shuriken shot out from the shadows, hitting Fancy Dan in the shoulder. He let out a cry of pain as his hand went to his shoulder. The other two turned to look at him with surprise, allowing Cassandra to leap out of the shadows at them. She quickly kicked Montana in his head, knocking him away. She flipped over towards Snake and kicked at him as well. Snake however, bent backwards, avoiding her kick.

As she landed, Snake stood upright and turned to face her in a fluid motion that almost seemed boneless. He grinned at her as he twirled his butterfly knife dangerously. He lunged at Cassandra with his knife, but she dodged to the side, grabbing Snake's arm and wrist. She slammed her hand into his shoulder, but instead of breaking, it bent in an unnatural way. Cassandra looked at it in shock while Snake pulled his arm free and slash at Cassandra. He nicked her arm with his blade, but her suit made it so the blade couldn't dig in. Snake looked at her in surprise, which Cassandra took advantage of, kicking him hard in the chest and sending him rolling away.

Fancy Dan pulled the shuriken out of his shoulder and rushed over to Cassandra. He sent a quick kick at Cassandra, which she dodged. He followed up with a flurry of kicks, which she managed to block and dodge with ease. Growling in frustration, he sent a roundhouse kick at her head, which she ducked before grabbing his leg and holding it aloft. As he tried to pull away, she threw a punch into his groin. As he wheezed in pain, she stood up, lifting Dan's leg higher, before kicking him in the groin. As Dan shook in pain, Cassandra quickly pulled his leg down so it crossed his other one, before she quickly pulled it back up, tripping Dan with his own leg and flipping him onto his back.

As Dan lay groaning on the floor, Montana recovered and lashed at Cassandra with his whip. She stepped to the side, avoiding it as it cracked against the ground. As Montana attacked again, Cassandra rolled under his whip, popping up in front of him and punching him hard in the stomach. Montana let out a strangled cough as he doubled over in pain, allowing Cassandra to uppercut him on the jaw, snapping his head back. As Montana stumbled backwards, Cassandra ripped his bullwhip from his hands, before hopping into the air, holding the bullwhip in both hands. As she flew over his head, she looped the whip around his neck, pulling it as she landed behind him. Yanking hard on the whip, she flipped Montana over her shoulder and slammed him onto the ground head first, knocking him out.

Cassandra looked down at Montana before looking back up. As she did, she saw Snake leaping through the air towards her. Before she could react, he flipped around and wrapped his legs around her neck, before grabbing her legs and pulling her to the ground. As she lay on the ground, he tightened his legs around her head and neck, attempting to choke the life out of her. Cassandra struggled for a few moments, before striking Snake in the groin with her fist. Snake let out a high pitched moan of pain as his grip slackened on her throat. She quickly pushed his legs off of her while wiggling her legs free before giving him a sharp boot to the head. He yelped in pain as Cassandra slid off of him, before giving him a kick to the stomach, ensuring he stayed down.

Meanwhile, Big Man, Ox and Hammer made their way through the garage, looking for Bruce. As they did, they heard a whirring sound before a fluorescent light above them shattered, plunging the area they were in into darkness. The three men were instantly on edge, Big Man pointing his gun every which way. There was a flapping noise before Hammer let out a cry of surprise as something slammed into him. Hammer and Bruce rolled across the ground, coming to a stop with Bruce on top. Bruce quickly punched Hammer in the face, before hopping off and darting behind a car as Big Man opened fire on him, the bullets pinging off the side, causing the car alarm to go off. Ox quickly ran up to the side of the car, but found Bruce had disappeared.

"He's gone!" Ox declared.

"Hammer, are you ok?" Big Man asked as he pointed the weapon around the room, trying to find Bruce.

"I've been better," Hammer said as he stood and wiped the blood from his mouth.

"Where is that rodent?" Ox asked as he looked around.

"We have to get into the light," Big Man stated as he moved towards the lit area of the garage. As he did, more whirring noises cut through the air before more of the fluorescent lights shattered, sending the garage even further into darkness.

"Oh shi-" Hammer began but was interrupted by a fluttering sound followed by a thud. Big Man whirled around and fired a few shots wildly into the darkness, but hit nothing.

"Hammer?" he asked nervously, "Hammer, you there?"

Hammer let out a loud cry before there was the sound of metal bending, followed by a car alarm going off. The flashing lights of the alarm illuminated Hammer laying on the car nearby, unconscious.

"Jesus Christ," Ox whispered with fear, "We have to get out of here."

"Don't be such a goddamned coward, Ox!" Big Man shouted, "He's just one man!"

"One man who drove here in a tank!" Ox argued, "One man who just crushed Hammer against a car like he was a bug. For all we know, he can see in the dark and is watching us right now!"

"Right on all counts," a gravelly voice said behind them. Ox let out a cry of surprise as something slammed into him. Big Man tried to see what was happening, but the darkness prevented him from seeing what was going on. He fired another shot into the darkness, which was followed by a fluttering noise and then silence.

"Ox?" Big Man asked nervously, "Ox, you alright?"

Ox only groaned in response, before slumping over unconscious. A noise caught Big Man's attention, causing him to whirl around and fire into the darkness at it. A second noise came from behind him and Big Man fired two more shots at it. His eyes were wide from fear as his breathe quickened. At every small sound, he fired a round, trying desperately to hit Bruce. As another noise echoed in the darkness, he fired his gun at it, but all that he got was a clicking sound, signaling his weapon was empty. He looked at the weapon with fear before taking off running into the darkness.

His breathing was panicked as he made his was up to the roof of the garage, practically feeling Bruce chasing after him. As he ran out onto the roof, the light from the surrounding city illuminating the roof. He quickly ran up to the edge of the roof, looking around in a panic for any sign of Bruce. Finding himself alone, he quickly reached into his pockets and tried to find a clip for his gun.

As he did, he heard a fluttering sound behind him, followed by the sound of heavy breathing. A chill ran down Big Man's spine as he froze up, sweat running down his forehead. Turning around slowly, he found Bruce glaring at him. Before he could so much as scream, Bruce grabbed him and tossed him over the edge. Big Man screamed as he plummeted towards the ground. As he fell, Bruce turned around and fired his grappling hook at him, snagging him by the leg, halting his fall a few feet above the ground. Big Man kept screaming as his hat fell from his head and fluttered to the ground. He continued to let out panicked yelps as Bruce secured his line and pulled him up. After a few moments, Big Man hung a few feet from the edge of the roof, with Bruce glaring down at him.

"Oh god, please don't kill me!" Big Man moaned as he looked up at Bruce.

"I won't, as long as you tell me what I want to know," Bruce growled.

"I tell you whatever you want, please!" Big Man pleaded.

"What was Kingpin's plan?" Bruce demanded coldly.

"He wanted to eliminate everyone involved with bringing me in!" Big Man explained.

"Everyone?" Bruce questioned, "Not just me?"

"No, he wanted to make an example of everyone!" Big Man elaborated, "He was going after that cop who brought me in and that ADA who was trying me!"

"Names Foswell! Give me names!" Bruce demanded as he let the rope go, causing Big Man to fall a few feet before he caught him.

"Gordon and Murdock!" Big Man cried, "Gordon and Murdock!"

"When's it happening!" Bruce demanded.

"Tonight!" Big Man screamed, "It's all happening tonight!"

"Where!" Bruce shouted.

"I don't know!" Big Man pleaded, "I swear to God!"

"Swear to me!" Bruce shouted before letting Big Man go again, catching him just before he reached the ground and pulling him back up.

"I can't!" Big Man cried, "He'll kill me!"

"Then you can die right now for all I care!" Bruce bellowed as he loosened his grip on the cable.

"Wait!" Big Man shouted, causing Bruce to grab the cable again, "They were going to hit them on their way home from work. That's all I know I swear!"

"It had better be," Bruce growled, before letting go again, causing Big Man to plummet to the ground. Just as he was about to hit the ground, Bruce stopped him, before releasing him from the cable, causing him to fall hard on his back. Big Man groaned in pain as he lay on the ground while sirens sounded in the distance.

_Later_

Matt Murdock slowly made his way home through the dark and cold streets. His cane clicked across the frost covered sidewalk as he walked. Eventually, he came to the metallic staircase leading to the train platform suspended above the street. He slowly made his way up the stairs, holding onto the handrail as he did so. Eventually, he made his way to the top, where he noticed something. He wasn't alone anymore.

Someone, a man, was standing on the platform with him. Matt could hear the sound of him breathing, and the metal groaning slightly as he shifted his weight. He could smell him as well, his body odor mixing with the smell of tobacco and alcohol. And something else. Gunpowder.

As he noticed this, he heard the sound of footsteps coming from the street below, coming up the stairs toward him. As they did, he could hear the first man reach into his pocket and slowly pull out a gun while he heard the flicking of a switchblade in the direction of the other.

"The Kingpin sends his regards, Mr. Murdock," the man in front of him said. As he did, he heard the ruffling of the man's jacket behind him as he raised his arm to stab him. As he brought his arm down to stab him, Matt whirled around and grabbed the man's arm. He twisted the man's arm, causing him to drop his knife, before kicking him in the chest, knocking the thug off his feet and rolling down the stairs to the sidewalk below.

Murdock quickly whirled around and swung his walking stick at the man behind, only to have it caught by the man behind him. A quick feeling of panic ran through Matt's gut before he noticed that it was a different man who stood in front of him. The groaning of metal made Matt realize the man was perched on the railing in front of them. A fluttering noise alerted Matt he wore some sort of cape. A groan alerted him that the thug now lay on the ground, struggling to hold onto consciousness. The man slowly let go of Matt's cane, allowing him to slowly lower it to the ground.

"Who are you?" Matt asked cautiously.

"I'm someone like you," the man said with a voice that grated on Matt's ears like nails on a chalkboard, "Someone who rattles the cages."

"You're the Batman everyone's talking about," Matt observed.

"I am," Batman replied.

"I take it Kingpin took a shot at you as well," Matt guessed.

"He missed," Batman answered simply.

"I can tell," Matt stated, "Thank you for your help."

"It doesn't seem like you needed it," Batman replied, nodding towards the stairs, "It appears there's more to you than you let on."

"Perhaps," Matt said evasively.

"Keep up the good work, Mr. Murdock, and stay safe," Batman stated, "I'll be in touch."

As he said that, a train shot through the station, the sound screeching against Matt's ears. As it passed, Matt found that Batman had disappeared completely. A thoughtful expression crossed his face as a police officer walked up to the stairs.

"Sir? Are you alright?" the officer asked with concern.

_Meanwhile_

Gordon made his way from the GCPD building, pushing a young woman in a wheelchair as he did. She was only about sixteen years old, with short, deep red hair and bright green eyes behind a pair of small glasses. She wore a purple jacket along with a green scarf and a brown blanket over her legs.

"I hope I was able to help with the computers, Dad," the girl said as she looked up at Gordon with a smile.

"Barbara, we'd be back in the Stone Age if it weren't for you," he said with a smile, patting her on the head. She chuckled as they continued on their way. As they slowly made their way down the sidewalk, two men stepped out from an alleyway behind them. As Gordon turned around, two more men stepped out in front of them.

"Dad!" Barbara exclaimed as the men in front of them drew guns. Gordon's eyes widened in fright as he looked at the men surrounding him before he started to slowly reach for his gun.

"The Kingpin sends his regards, Detective Gordon," one of the thugs in front of them said as he raised his gun, "And pity about your daughter."

As he was about to pull the trigger, two shuriken flew from the shadows and hit the guns out of the two men's hands. The cried out in pain as their guns clattered to the ground. Everyone looked up in the direction the shuriken had come from. Above them, standing on a lamppost directly above the other two thugs, was Cassandra.

The two men standing below her drew their guns and pointed them at her. In response, Cassandra flipped over and grabbed the post before flipping down towards them. As she fell, she pulled two more shuriken out and threw it at the light, shattering it. She flipped to the ground, landing between the two men as they covered their eyes from the bright flash of the light breaking. Before they could react, Cassandra leapt into the air and did a split kick, hitting them both on the sides of the head, knocking them to the ground and sending their guns flying into the air. Cassandra landed and slowly stood up, sparks falling around her as she glared at the other two looked at her with fright. As she did, the thugs' guns fell to the ground. Reaching out, she grabbed one of the guns as it fell, before she removed the clip from it and ejected the bullet from the chamber. She then tossed the gun aside and began to flick the bullets from the clip as she walked towards Gordon.

"Dad, who is that?" Barbara whispered.

Gordon watched as Cassandra continued to walked towards them, flicking bullets from the clip. His memory went back to a small figure doing a similar action in his office not long ago. Cassandra nodded at Gordon as she approached, which Gordon returned.

"A friend, Barbara," Gordon explained, "She's a friend."

Cassandra rushed at the two men, pulling her fist back and punching one of them in the stomach, causing him to double over. She quickly grabbed his head and drove her knee into his face. Still holding his head, she chopped him on the throat, causing him to fall to the ground with chocking coughs.

As he fell, the other man picked up his gun and pointed it at Cassandra. Before he could pull the trigger though, a shot rang out and he was hit in the shoulder, knocking him to the ground. Turning, Cassandra saw Gordon standing a few feet away, holding his now smoking gun.

"You…ok?" Cassandra asked.

"We're both fine," Gordon said, as he holstered his gun, "Thanks to you."

Cassandra nodded before pulling out her grapple gun, and turning to leave.

"Wait!" Barbara called, holding out her hand. Cassandra stopped and turned to look at her, "Who are you?"

"I'm…Batgirl," Cassandra stated before turning and firing her grappling hook and soaring off towards the rooftops. Barbara watched with a stunned look on her face.

"She's so cool," Barbara whispered, a smile crossing her face.

A/N: Well I have to say, this was a very fun chapter to write. I got a few complaints about there not being enough stealthy fighting in the last chapter, so I tried to use some in this one, hope you guys liked it. Please review! Later True Believers!


	19. Cat Scratch Fever

**Chapter 19: Cat Scratch Fever**

_Cats know how to obtain food without labor, shelter without confinement, and love without penalties. _

-W. L. George

_December 22__nd__, 2011, Tony Stark's apartment._

Cassandra groaned as she fiddled with her dress. She was dressed in a simple green one with long sleeves and a skirt that went just past her knees. She also wore long white socks and black shoes, with her hair done up in a ponytail with the same black ribbon. She stood in an elevator with Bruce and Kathy as they made their way up to Tony's apartment. Bruce was dressed in a black tuxedo while Kathy was dressed in a form fitting blue dress, her red hair cascading down her back.

"Still playing with your dress, Cassandra?" Kathy asked with a chuckle.

"She doesn't like dresses," Bruce stated simply, shrugging.

The elevator bell rung, signaling the trio had arrived at their destination. The doors swung open, revealing a long entry hall carpeted with a dark red carpet and illuminated by electric candles. As they stepped through the door, a console next to the door blinked.

"Good evening, Ms. Kane," a smooth, cultured voice greeted them, catching Bruce and Cassandra off guard.

"Hello JARVIS," Kathy replied, before looking at Bruce and Cassandra, "I don't think you've met my friends."

"Ah yes, Mr. and Ms. Wayne," the voice said, "I am Just A Rather Very Intelligent System, or JARVIS for short. And yes, I am aware of the redundancy, Mr. Stark isn't the greatest when it comes to naming."

"So Tony made you?" Bruce questioned.

"Yes, Mr. Stark designed me to run his household for him," JARVIS explained, "I have full access to all the house's systems as well as his office."

"Are you…a ghost?" Cassandra asked as she looked around for the source of JARVIS's voice.

"No, Ms. Wayne, I am an AI," JARVIS explained.

"AI?" Cassandra questioned.

"An artificial intelligence," JARVIS elabortated.

"Arti…ficial?" Cassandra asked, still confused.

"How should I explain this?" JARVIS thought out loud, "I am a mind, made by another person."

"Another…person?" Cassandra questioned.

"Yes, and this building is my body," JARVIS continued, "Do you understand?"

Cassandra nodded.

"Very good. Now I believe Mr. Stark wanted you to continue on to the party in the living room," JARVIS stated.

"Thank you, JARVIS," Kathy thanked as they made their way down the hallway.

"Bye," Cassandra said, looking over her shoulder and waving.

"Have a good evening, Ms. Wayne," JARVIS replied.

The three of them continued down the hall until they came to the living room. It was a huge room with a white polished floor and illuminated by lights hanging from the ceiling. People where milling around the room, talking with each other and sitting in the various couches and chairs around the room. The wall across from them was entirely occupied by large windows looking out onto the Gotham skyline, with a helicopter pad just outside the window. A fireplace sat in the wall nearby, while on the other side of the room was a fully stocked bar and a piano. What caught their attention though, was the giant Christmas tree sitting in the middle of the room, its branches decorated with tinsel and its lights reflecting off the ornaments hanging from it.

Cassandra's mouth fell open as she stared at the giant tree, her eyes wide with wonder.

"Tree!" she exclaimed, pointing at it.

"A Christmas tree," Bruce clarified.

"Christ…mas," Cassandra repeated as she continued to look at the tree.

"Now all we have to do is find Tony," Kathy stated as she began to scan the crowd. As she did, a loud laugh echoed across the room as Tony stumbled into view. He looked up at the three of them before laughing again and stumbling over.

"Bruce! Kathy!" he exclaimed as he walked over and looped his arms around their shoulders, "Now it's a party!"

"Hey Tony," Bruce said with a chuckle, "I see you've already got into the eggnog."

"Haha, well of course," Tony said with a laugh, "I see you brought the kid along too."

"Tony," Cassandra greeted him.

"Merry Christmas kid," he greeted, "Any who, I'll show you guys around. Bruce here has a lot of people to meet."

As he spoke, two women came out of the crowd towards Tony. One was a blond in a form fitting green dress, the other a brunette in a red dress.

"There you are Tony!" the blond said, "We thought you had left us."

"Sorry girls," Tony apologized, "I just had to find my oldest friends in the world. Girls, let me introduce you to Bruce Wayne and Kathy Kane. Guys, these lovely ladies are Giselle and Candy."

"Wow, you're really Bruce Wayne?" the blonde, Candy, asked.

"That's what they've been telling me," Bruce joked, earning a loud laugh from the blonde.

"And who's this cutie?" Candy asked, leaning down to look at Cassandra, who pulled away slightly as Candy stuck her face in hers.

"This is my adopted daughter Cassandra," Bruce explained.

"You…smell…funny," Cassandra commented, catching a sniff of Candy's alcohol-laced breath.

"What?" Candy asked, confused and slightly irritated, "What did she just say to me?"

"Um she said…she likes it when it's sunny!" Tony said quickly, "Yeah, that's it."

"I think I'm going to show Cassandra around," Bruce said as he began to lead the girl away while Tony put an arm around Candy's shoulder.

"I should probably go with him," Kathy said as she began to move away but Tony stopped her.

"Now come on Kathy," Tony said, "Don't be a stick in the mud like Bruce. I can't keep these lovely ladies company all by myself."

"Tony, I'm really not comfortable…" Kathy began to say.

"What do you mean, Tony?" the brunette, Giselle asked.

"Well let's just say, me and Kathy bat for the same team," Tony said while winking at her.

"Tony!" Kathy exclaimed, her face reddening.

"Oh come on, it's not like the tabloids didn't let that secret out of the bag years ago," Tony argued, "Besides, I believe one of my friends here said she was curious about something. Isn't that right Giselle?"

"It is," Giselle said as she walked up and looped her arms around one of Kathy's, "So are you doing anything later, Kathy?"

"Um…I…" Kathy stammered, her face turning red.

"Don't worry, I'm a little nervous too," Giselle chuckled as she began to rub Kathy's arm.

Meanwhile, across the room near a refreshment table, Cassandra stood watching them. She turned to Bruce with a confused look on her face.

"Why…Kathy…nervous?" she asked Bruce. Bruce turned to look where she was before smiling to himself.

"She's talking to a pretty girl," Bruce explained.

"So?" Cassandra questioned.

"Kathy likes girls," Bruce elaborated.

"Kathy…girl," Cassandra stated.

"Some girls like girls," Bruce explained, "the same thing is true for some boys."

"You…like…girls?" Cassandra asked.

"Yes I do," Bruce replied with a chuckle.

"I…like…girls?" she questioned.

"You tell me," he replied.

Cassandra paused as she scanned the crowd. Her eyes lingered on a group of young woman chatting with each other and sipping their drinks. They then fell on a group of young men similarly chatting and drinking. After a few moments, she turned back to Bruce and shrugged. Bruce laughed in response.

"Don't worry," he said, "you'll have plenty of time to figure it out."

"Go…look…at…tree," she said, indicating the Christmas tree.

"Alright," Bruce said with a nod. Cassandra turned and made her way through the crowd as Bruce turned back to the refreshment table and poured himself a drink. As he sipped it, he turned back around and scanned the crowd.

As he did, his eyes fell on a woman. She was roughly his age, with very short black hair, and green, almost cat-like eyes. She had a pale complexion and an athletic, feminine build. She wore a shoulderless, black dress that clung to her curves. A jewel encrusted necklace was around her neck and black stilettos on her feet, with her nails painted a deep red. She sipped from a champagne class with her ruby red lips. It wasn't until her eyes met his that he realized he had been staring. A smirk crossed her lips as she began to make her way through the crowd with surprising grace.

"Hello there, handsome," she said with a sensual, smoky voice, "You know it's rude to stare, don't you?"

"Sorry, couldn't help myself," Bruce replied with a smile.

"Not that I'm complaining, mind you," the woman replied, taking the moment to look Bruce up and down with an almost predatory look.

"I suppose that's a compliment," Bruce replied with a smirk.

"It is," the woman stated, "I'm Selina Kyle, by the way."

"Bruce Wayne," Bruce replied.

"My, my," Selina practically purred, "Handsome and rich. Every girl's dream."

"So what brings you to this party?" Bruce asked.

"Seeing Gotham's elite drinking and making fools of themselves is always entertaining," Selina replied with a smirk, "Plus the free booze doesn't hurt."

"It doesn't sound like you are one of these "Gotham elite,"" Bruce observed.

"Not by birth, no," Selina explained, "But having a pretty face and curves in the right places help attract the right peoples' attention, including your friend, Tony."

"He certainly is a…fan of good looking women," Bruce agreed.

"Just a little," Selina said with small laugh.

"Have you…?" Bruce trailed off.

"Mr. Wayne, we only just met. Far too soon to be asking such…personal question," Selina replied with mock shock, "And besides, a lady does not talk about such things."

"Sorry," Bruce chuckled as he held up his hands in mock surrender.

"No need to apologize," she chuckled, "Sadly, I can't stay and chat any longer. I have some business to attend to."

"That's too bad," Bruce said.

"It really is," Selina replied, "It was nice meeting you Bruce. I hope I can meet you at another of Tony's get togethers."

"You can count on it," Bruce replied.

Selina smiled as she turned and left, disappearing into the crowd. Bruce's eyes lingered on where she had disappeared from his sight, his mind drifting to the woman he had loved and lost not too long ago.

Meanwhile, Cassandra stood in front of the Christmas tree, looking up at it with wonder in her eyes.

"It's something, isn't it?" a voice asked from behind her. Turning around, she found a teenage boy standing behind her. He had wavy, black hair and brown eyes with a skinny build. He wore a sports jacket over a white t-shirt and a pair of brown slacks along with a pair of brown leather shoes.

"Excuse…me?" Cassandra asked as she turned to look at the boy.

"The Christmas tree, it's something isn't it?" he asked again, "By the way, you talk funny."

Cassandra glared at him.

"Sorry, that was rude," he apologized, "The name's Ezekiel Stane."

"Cass…and…ra," she replied.

"Cassandra, huh?" he asked, "Aren't you that girl Bruce Wayne was going to adopt?"

Cassandra nodded in reply.

"I'm Obadiah Stane's son, he runs the company for your dad," Ezekiel explained.

"Thought…Tony…ran…company," Cassandra stated.

"So does he," Ezekiel said with a chuckle. Cassandra gave Ezekiel a confused look, causing Ezekiel to laugh again.

"Don't worry," he laughed, "You'll understand eventually."

With that, he turned away, still laughing as he walked away. Cassandra glared at him before turning back to the Christmas tree.

"Don't…like…him," she said to herself.

A few hours later, Tony found his way back to Bruce, looping his arm around him as he led him away from the crowd.

"Now I know it's a little early," Tony said with a slight slur, "But I got you some Christmas presents for your "hobby""

"Tony, do you really think this is a good time to be talking about this?" Bruce asked, looking around cautiously.

"Eh, don't mind them, their all drunk," Tony replied with a wave of his hand at the crowd, "They won't notice we're gone."

They made their way into a hallway before they came to an apparently empty section of wall. Holding his hand up, Tony pushed it against the wall, causing the section around his hand to glow blue and a beep to sound before the section of wall next to it slid open, revealing a stairway leading downwards.

Tony and Bruce made their way down the stairs. The bottom of the stairs was surrounded by heavily enforced glass, looking into a darkened rom. Reaching out, Tony flicked a switch, causing the lights to turn on, revealing a large concrete room. In one corner sat a large computer system with state of the art monitors and processors. A workbench was also located in the room, surrounded be a large number of tools.

"Welcome to my workroom," Tony said as he entered a code on the keypad next to the glass door and opening it.

"This is quite impressive," Bruce commented as he looked around.

"Thanks, you should see what's under it," Tony commented, "You'd be surprised at what you can do when you own a whole building."

"So what did you want to show me?" Bruce asked.

"Come over here," Tony said, leading him to his work bench. Getting there, he reached over to a box and opened it up.

"Alright, I got two things for you," Tony said as he reached in and pulled out a small, black sphere, "The first thing are what I like to call "black out bombs"."

"Why do you call them that?" Bruce asked.

"I'm glad you asked," Tony replied, before tossing the bomb over to the open section of the workroom. The bomb hopped across the floor before coming to a stop. A second later, a black smoke shot out of the bomb with a hiss, forming a completely opaque cloud of smoke. A few minutes later and the smoke dissipated.

"Impressive," Bruce commented.

"It is, and I'm sure you can see the advantages of it to someone with your skills and style," Tony stated, "In addition to the smoke, it also lets off a small discharge of heat that flows through the entire cloud, so it will throw off any thermal imaging you may encounter."

Turning back to the bock, he pulled out a small device in the same bat-shape as Bruce's shuriken along with a PDA-like device.

"This is a tracking device," Tony explained, "It has one button, which activates an adhesive gel on the back, allowing it to stick to any surface. Any surface I've thought of at least. After it is stuck, you can use the tracker to activate its tracking signal, which can emit even through a few feet of solid cement. I was working on installing the tracker in your cowl, but I'm still working out the designs for that."

"This is very impressive stuff," Bruce commented as he picked up one of the trackers and looked at it.

"What can I say? I'm a genius," Tony stated as he leaned on the workbench, only to lose his balance and fall thanks to his inebriated state. Bruce quickly slipped the tracker into his pocket as he caught Tony before he hit the concrete floor.

"Alright Tony, I think that's enough for tonight," Bruce said as he helped Tony to his feet.

"But the night is still young!" Tony protested.

"It certainly isn't sober though," Bruce replied as he dragged him over to the door and closing it behind him before shutting off the lights as he made his way up the stairs.

"Alright, which way is your bedroom?" Bruce asked. Tony pointed down the hall, where Bruce began to drag him. A few minutes later, he had dragged Tony into a large bedroom, also possessing a wall of windows looking out onto the city.

As he entered the room, Bruce immediately saw that something was amiss. The subtle sounds of someone moving and breathing caught his attention first, as well as sound coming in from an open window. Then, as his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he could make out a shadowy figure near the side of Tony's large bed. It was standing next to an open section of the wall, holding what appeared to be a PDA in its hands.

"Hey!" Tony exclaimed, pointing at the figure, "That's my safe!"

The figure whirled around to look at them, before turning and rushing towards the window.

"Bruce, stop them!" Tony cried. Bruce quickly dropped him as he sprung into action. Realizing he didn't have time to stop the figure, he remembered the tracker in his pocket. Grabbing it, he threw it at the figure, sticking it to their back. A second later the figure sprung out of the window. Running over, Bruce couldn't see any sign of the person.

"Sir?" JARVIS' voice called out over the room's intercom, "I detected a disturbance, is everything alright?"

"No, JARVIS, it's not," Tony shouted, "Someone just broke in and robbed my safe!"

"That's impossible, sir," JARVIS argued, "My systems detected no break in."

"Well we just saw it for ourselves," Bruce replied.

"Oh dear, I don't understand how someone could have got in without me noticing," JARVIS said.

"Is there any way to disable your security systems?" Bruce question, immediately becoming all business.

"You would need to know the code and a sample of Mr. Stark's DNA. And they would have to do it without me noticing," JARVIS explained.

"You were monitoring everyone at the party weren't you?" Bruce asked.

"Yes, sir," JARVIS answered.

"I take it someone with your faculties was a little bit distracted," Bruce commented.

"Yes sir," JARVIS replied with a tone of shame.

"Nothing to be ashamed of, I have no doubt the person who did this would have been hard to notice anyway," Bruce commented, "I take it you know about my hobby."

"Yes, sir. Your secret is safe with me," JARVIS replied.

"Good to know," Bruce said, "If you would, I'd like you to evacuate the party for me. I also need you to contact Alfred and have him bring me my suit."

"Right away, sir," JARVIS replied, before his voice echoed through the building, "Ladies and gentlemen, I'm afraid to tell you that the party must come to an end. Please vacate the premises as soon as possible. Thank you, and happy holidays."

"Tony, what was in your safe?" Bruce asked Tony as he pulled himself up onto his bed.

"It's a PDA containing all of my designs, all of my current and future projects," Tony explained.

"That would be pretty valuable in the right hands," Bruce commented.

"No kidding," Tony replied.

"You stay here," Bruce said, "I'll get your PDA back."

"Good luck," Tony said as he lay back on his bed.

"JARVIS, I need you to open Tony's workroom for me," Bruce said as he made his way out of the bedroom.

"Right away, sir," JARVIS answered.

As Bruce made his way out of the bedroom, Kathy and Cassandra walked down the hallway to him.

"Bruce, what's happening?" Kathy asked, worry in her voice.

"Tony had a little bit too much to drink," Bruce explained, "I'll take care of him, can you make sure Cassandra gets home alright?"

"Sure," Kathy agreed, as Cassandra looked at him, knowing he was lying "You sure you don't need any help?"

"I'm sure," Bruce replied, looking at Cassandra, who looked ready to argue but decided not to, "I'll call Alfred up and have him give me a ride home later."

"Alright, have a good night Bruce, and tell Tony I hope he feels better!" Kathy said as she and Cassandra turned and walked away. Cassandra gave Bruce one last look, to which Bruce nodded, assuring her he was alright. With that, the two left, and Bruce hurried into Tony's workshop which was alit and ready for him.

"The signal is coming in loud and clear, sir," JARVIS commented as Bruce picked up the receiver, "And Mr. Pennysworth is on his way as we speak. The criminal won't get far."

"No, they won't" Bruce agreed with a serious voice.

_Later_

Batman soared over the Gotham rooftops, his cape keeping him afloat as he glided upon the city breeze. Landing on a rooftop, he quickly pulled out the receiver and looked at it, seeing the criminal was close by. Running to the edge of the rooftop, he shot off his grappling hook and pulled himself up to another rooftop. Hanging from the edge he carefully looked onto the rooftop.

Sitting on an air conditioner unit was a woman. She wore a skin tight, black bodysuit that showed off all of her curves. In addition, she wore black, sneaker-like shoes and black gloves that included sharp claws at the end. She wore a black cowl which framed her face and covered her hair as well as having two pieces on the top that resembled cat ears. She wore a pair of orange-tinted goggles that resembled cat eyes, leaving only her ruby red lips exposed. She wore a utility belt around her waist, in addition to a bullwhip which was wrapped around her waist and trailed behind her, resembling a tail. She sat fiddling with Tony's PDA, grumbling in frustration.

"They said they'd pay extra to have this thing decrypted," she grumbled to herself, "But I don't know the first thing about computers."

"You know, it's wrong to take things that don't belong to you," Batman's gravelly voice said from right behind her, causing her to freeze in fear. Slowly, she tilted her head back to look up, finding Batman looming over her.

The woman jumped to her feet in surprise, one hand holding Tony's PDA away from her with the other reaching for the handle of her whip.

"How the hell did you sneak up on me like that?" she demanded, surprise still written across her features.

"You're coming with me," Batman said, ignoring her question, "Hand over the PDA."

"Whoa, you're that Batman guy aren't you?" she asked, "The news didn't say how much of a hunk you were."

"The PDA. Now." Batman demanded.

"So pushy, you'll have to work on the attitude," she said with a smirk, "Besides there are a whole mess of people will into to pay a pretty penny to get their hands on this and have a glimpse into the mind of Tony Stark. So I won't be handing this over to you, no matter how great your six-pack is."

Batman merely growled as he leapt at her but the woman flipped away, they both rolled to their feet and were instantly ready to move again.

"Not so fast, handsome," she scolded, holding up the hand holding the PDA and shaking one of her fingers at him, "I'm no easy girl. If you want the prize, you have to be willing to go the distance."

She flipped over to the edge of the building at turned away from him, looking over shoulder at him.

"Let's see if you can keep up, the name's Catwoman by the way!" she shouted before leaping off the rooftop. Bruce rushed to the rooftop and looked down, seeing her tumble onto a rooftop below. Growling in frustration, he leapt off the roof as well, gliding down and racing after her.

Catwoman chuckled as she looked over her shoulder, before she ran up to the edge of the roof and leapt off again. As she flew through the air, she grabbed her whip and unwrapped it from her waist, before lashing it at a nearby flagpole sticking off from a building. The whip wrapped around the pole and she swung from it to a rooftop across the street. Landing, she pulled her whip back to her and wrapped it around her waist as she turned around to look at Batman.

"Let's see him follow that," she said with a smirk. As she did, Batman ran to the edge of the roof and leapt off, pulling his grappling hook out as he did so. Firing it, it latched onto the roof across the street, and quickly pulled him across the street, catching Catwoman off guard.

"I have to get me one of those," Catwoman said to herself before she turn and ran across the rooftop, Batman hot on her heels. Jumping off an air conditioner, she landed on the next rooftop before hopping off of it onto a fire escape that hung over an alley. Vaulting over the side, she dropped a few stories before grabbing the side of the fire escape to stop her fall. She then quickly hopped off the side onto the wall across the alley before bouncing off of it and landing on the ground below, rolling as she did.

As she dusted herself off, she heard a fluttering sound above her, causing her to look up. As she did, she saw Batman flying into the alleyway, gliding down with the help of his cape.

"You can fly?" she asked amazed, "That's certainly not fair."

"The chase is over, Catwoman," Batman growled, "Now hand it over."

"It's not that easy, handsome," she said as she tucked the PDA into her belt, "You see, I'm an alley cat, and I have some nasty claws."

Catwoman let out a yell as she swung her claws at Batman. Batman quickly leaned out of the way, before stepping back as she swung at his chest with her other hand. Spinning around, she swung her claws upwards, raking her claws across Batman's chest. The claws however, failed to tear his suit, causing her to balk in surprise.

"You have to be kidding me!" she exclaimed before she leaned backwards as Batman threw a punch at her. She quickly ducked as he threw another at her, before she spun around and sent a kick at his head, which he dodged. She followed up by planting her hands on the ground and throwing another kick at his head while she did a handstand. Batman caught this attack, before lifting her up and flipping her into the air. Catwoman managed to spin around and kick at him with both feet, hitting Batman in the chest. Batman rolled across the ground as Catwoman landed one all fours, looking over her shoulder at Batman with a cat-like grin.

Standing up, she quickly unwrapped her whip from around her waist before cracking it against the frost covered ground. As Batman stood up, she lashed at him, catching him around the neck with her whip. Pulling it tighter, she began to squeeze his throat as Batman's hands went to the whip wrapped around his neck. Just as Catwoman thought she had won, Batman reached out and grabbed the whip, before yanking on it, causing the surprised Catwoman to stumble over to him. Before she could react, Batman backhanded her across the face with his fist, sending her tumbling across the ground. Batman quickly unwrapped her whip from around his neck and tossed it aside as he stalked over to her.

"Well, I see you're not afraid to hit a woman," Catwoman commented as she pushed herself up onto her hands and knees. As Batman reached down to grab her, Catwoman whirled around and raked her claws across the exposed part of Batman's face. Batman let out a cry of surprise and pain as his hand went up to his face and he stepped back. Catwoman took the opportunity to spin to her feet and kick Batman in the gut, sending him stumbling farther away.

Catwoman took the opportunity to try and flee but Batman reached out and grabbed her arm and spun her back to him. Catwoman used the momentum to swing her knee around and drive it into Batman's side, causing him to let out a grunt of pain. Grabbing her leg with his other free hand, Batman lifted Catwoman into the air before slamming her against the ground, causing the air to shoot out of her lungs as she yelped in pain. As Batman lifted his foot to bring it down on her chest and pin her down, Catwoman grabbed it and kicked him in the stomach with both her feet, causing him to stumbled back.

Catwoman quickly hopped to her feet and ran at Batman. Before he could react, she leapt into the air, and planted her hands on his shoulder before vaulting off him. As she did, she spun around and kicked him in the back, causing him to stumble forward as she leapt away from him. Laughing, Catwoman ran out of the alley, picking up her whip as she did so.

"Better luck next time, handsome!" she cried as she ran around a corner. Batman chased after her, but found she had disappeared by the time he got there. He growled in frustration as he pulled out the receiver to find her location again. The receiver beeped a few times before it suddenly went quiet, meaning the signal had been lost. Batman growled again.

Meanwhile, hidden on a rooftop nearby, Catwoman examined the tracking device she had crushed.

"So that's how he found me," she observed, "But how the hell did it get there in the first place? Maybe he's working with that Stark guy. It would explain where he got all those crazy toys. No matter, now it's just me and…"

She trailed off as she reached for her belt, looking for the PDA. Not finding it, she quickly looked down at her belt, only to find the PDA had vanished.

"You got to be kidding me!" she exclaimed in frustration.

_The next day_

Bruce sat in Tony's workshop in front of his computer, holding the PDA in his hands before he set it down on the table next to him. On the screens in front of him were video recordings of the party. He carefully examined them, looking for anything amiss. Suddenly, he noticed something, causing him to lean forward.

"JARVIS, pause the footage on screen three," he instructed. The picture immediately paused, displaying an image of the party in the living room.

"JARVIS, zoom in on the woman in the black dress near the piano," he instructed. The image quickly changed to a full shot of a woman. Not just any woman though. Selina Kyle. She was holding a glass she had just taken from Tony, and was applying some sort of paper to it.

"JARVIS, would Tony's fingerprints be enough to access your systems?" Bruce asked.

"You would also need his password," JARVIS explained.

"Something tells me she managed to pick that up too," Bruce commented, "JARVIS, I believe you're going to need to take Ms. Selina Kyle off any future guest lists."

A/N: Another fun chapter to write, especially to introduce such important characters as Catwoman and JARVIS. Also, for those who were wondering, Tony's apartment is based off a combination of his house from the movies and Bruce's apartment from the Dark Knight. Hope you guys liked it! Please review! Later, True Believers!


	20. Home for the Holidays

**Chapter 20: Home for the Holidays**

_Christmas is a holiday that persecutes the lonely, the frayed, and the rejected._

-Jimmy Cannon

_December 24__th__, 2011, Wayne Manor_

Cassandra stood in the living room looking up at the large Christmas tree that had been set up in one of the corners, towering over her, its lights casting shadows that danced around the room.

"Tree!" she exclaimed happily as she danced around it. As she did, her foot kicked one of the many presents under the tree. Picking it up, she looked at it, trying to figure out what it was.

"That's a present, Ms. Cassandra," Alfred explained as he walked into the room, smiling at her.

"Present?" Cassandra asked.

"A gift, essentially," Alfred explained.

"Gift!" Cassandra exclaimed, looking at the package happily.

"But you cannot open it until Christmas," Alfred explained, holding up his finger.

"Christ…mas?" Cassandra questioned.

"An annual day of giving," Alfred summed up.

"When?" Cassandra asked.

"Tomorrow, today is Christmas Eve," Alfred stated.

"Tomorrow!" Cassandra cried happily.

"Indeed, which is why we must prepare for the celebration," Alfred said happily before signaling for Cassandra to follow him.

"Today, I am going to teach you my family's secret recipe for the world's greatest figgy pudding," Alfred said as a large smile crossed his face.

"Cooking!" Cassandra cried happily as they made their way into the kitchen.

_Later_

Bruce walked into the mansion with Kathy behind him, each of them carrying large bags from their shopping trip.

"Alfred!" Bruce called out, "Can you give us a hand here?"

A few moments later, Alfred walked out into the hall, Cassandra in tow. They were both covered in cooking ingredients, from flour to pudding. Cassandra ran up to Bruce and Kathy with a smile that threatened to split her face.

"What happened to you two?" Kathy asked with a chuckle.

"Figgy!" she exclaimed happily.

"Figgy?" Bruce asked.

"I attempted to show Ms. Cassandra how to make my families' figgy pudding," Alfred explained, "What she lacks in skill she makes up for with…enthusiasm."

"Cooking!" Cassandra exclaimed happily as she tried to drag Bruce into the kitchen.

"I can see that," Bruce laughed as he followed her.

Kathy and Alfred laughed as they watched the two go. Kathy turned to speak to Alfred, but broke into a fit of giggles.

"Is there something wrong Ms. Kane?" Alfred asked.

"You got a little something on your face, Alfred," Kathy giggled.

Alfred looked at her with a bemused smile before continuing on into the kitchen, Kathy giggling behind him.

_Later_

Bruce and Cassandra sat in her bedroom, both of them in their pajamas. Bruce had a book open on his lap as he read it to Cassandra, who was cuddled up next to him.

"He was dressed in all furs, from his head to his foot, and his clothes were all tarnished with ash and soot," Bruce read, as Cassandra listen with rapt attention, "A bundle of toys he had flung on his back and he looked like a peddler, just opening his pack."

"Who he?" Cassandra asked.

"That's Santa Claus," Bruce explained.

"Santa?" Cassandra questioned.

"Yes, he brings presents to all the good little girls and boys," Bruce answered.

"Really!" Cassandra asked, getting excited.

"If you believe the stories," Bruce commented.

"Just…stories?" Cassandra questioned, seemingly disappointed.

"Maybe," Bruce said with a shrug and a smile.

"Am I…good girl?" Cassandra asked, looking up at him uncertainly.

"Yes," Bruce replied, kissing her on the top of her head, "You are a very good girl."

"Good," she said with a beaming smile before turning back to the book and pointing at it, "Story."

"Sorry, I'll get right on that," Bruce replied with a laugh as he began reading the story again, Cassandra cuddling closer to him.

_Later_

A quiet had fallen over the large stone structure of Wayne Manor. Its three occupants slept soundly in their beds as snow fell outside. The silence was broken however, by the sound of jingling bells. A few seconds later, the jingling stopped, replaced by a few loud thuds from the roof. Within seconds, the red suited, black booted figure of Santa Claus stood at the mouth of the fire place, brushing the soot off his suit. Adjusting the sack slung over his shoulder, he made his way into the living room, heading towards the Christmas tree. Kneeling down in front of it, he began to pull presents out from his sack and placing them under the tree. As he worked, he heard a small gasp behind him, causing a smile to cross his face.

Standing up, he turned around to find Cassandra standing on the couch behind him, a shuriken raised as she stared at him with wide eyes.

"Whoa there, Cassandra," he said as he held his hands in defense, "Put that down. You'll put someone's eye out."

"Santa?" she asked, surprise clearly written on her face, slowly turning into a smile, "Santa!"

Hoping off the couch and dropping the weapon, she rushed over to the large man, bouncing happily as she reached him.

"Real!" she exclaimed as she looked up at him.

"As the nose on your face," he said with a chuckle, tapping her on the nose, causing her to giggle, "Should have known I couldn't sneak in without you noticing. Glad I didn't wake your father, boy would he have given me a thrashing."

"Present?" she asked, looking at the presents that he was laying under the tree, causing Santa to laugh some more.

"This is your first Christmas, right?" he asked. Cassandra nodded simply.

"Then I suppose I should explain what it's all about," Santa said, putting his hand on her shoulder, "You see Cassandra, Christmas isn't about receiving gifts."

"It not?" she asked, slightly confused.

"No. What it is truly about is giving. And not just giving gifts either. It's about giving your time, your help and your love to those around you, relatives and strangers alike," Santa explained.

"Giving," Cassandra said, nodding her head in understanding.

"Now you've got it, kiddo," Santa replied with a chuckle.

Cassandra smiled at him as she nodded her head.

"Now, I think it's time for you to go to bed," he stated.

"Not sleepy," she yawned.

"Of course not," Santa replied with a laugh, before taping her on her head, causing her to fall asleep instantly and collapse into his arms. Chuckling to himself, Santa brought her up to her room and tucked her into bed, before making his way back downstairs and back to the chimney. With a wiggle of his nose, he disappeared back up the chimney in a gust of wind and a twinkling of light, leaving no sign that he had been there at all.

_The next day_

Bruce sat on one of the couches, smiling as Cassandra made her way through the presents in a flurry of wrapping and ribbon. Pulling out a black, silk scarf, she looked at it quizzically before turning to Bruce and held it up for him to see.

"That's a scarf," Bruce explained, "You wear it around your neck."

Cassandra looked at the scarf in confusion before haphazardly wrapping it around her neck and turning back to him with a questioning look.

"You look great," he said with a smile. She beamed at him before reaching for another present. Holding it up to him, he read the label.

"It's from Santa," Bruce explained. Cassandra practically squealed as she lay the present on the ground and ripped it open. Reaching into the box, she pulled out a stuffed animal. A stuffed bat to be exact. It was rather cartoony looking, with a large, grinning mouth with comically large fangs as well as beady yet friendly looking eyes. It was made out of a black fabric, except for the inside of the mouth, which was a bright red.

Cassandra's smile nearly split her face as she hugged the present, causing the bat to let out a high pitched squeak. Cassandra looked at it in surprise, before squeezing it again experimentally and giggled as it squeaked again. Bruce smiled as he watched her, though the fact he couldn't remember who gave her the bat was bothering him in the back of his mind.

Before he could devote anymore thought to it however, the doorbell rang. A few moments later, Alfred walked in with Kathy and Tony in tow.

"Oh, you started without us!" Kathy declared sadly as she walked in.

"Sorry, she was eager," Bruce replied with a chuckle.

"Still, it's not often you see someone's first Christmas and have them remember it," Kathy said as she walked up to Cassandra, "Merry Christmas, sweetie."

"Christmas," Cassandra replied as she gave Kathy a hug.

"I see you like the scarf I got you," Kathy said with a smile. Cassandra nodded happily in reply before turning to Tony.

"Hey, kid. Merry Christmas," he said as he ruffled her hair affectionately, causing her to giggle.

"Got something for you," he said, pulling out a wrapped box and handing it to her. Opening it, she found an mp3 player and held it up quizzically.

"Doesn't look like any iPod I've ever seen," Kathy commented as she took a seat on one of the couches.

"That's because I designed it myself," Tony explained.

"Of course you did," Bruce said with a snort of laughter.

Meanwhile, Cassandra studied the device in her hands, trying to figure out what it was. Rolling his eyes, Tony leaned forward, before taking the device's ear buds and putting them in Cassandra's ears, before taking the device and turning it on. A look of surprise passed over her face before a smile crept across it and she settled back to listen, taking the device as Tony handed it back to her.

"You'll never get to talk to her again now, you know?" Kathy said to Bruce, who chuckled in response.

"So have you given her the big gift?" Tony asked.

"I was waiting for you two to show up," Bruce explained.

"Well don't keep us waiting!" Kathy said excitedly, "Give it to her!"

"Alright, alright," Bruce said as he reached behind him and pulled out a small box. Turning to Cassandra, he tapped her on the shoulder to get her attention. Taking the ear buds out of her ears and looked up at him.

"Now we have one last present for you," Bruce explained, "And it's a very special one."

Taking the present, she smiled at him before opening it. Inside the box was a piece of paper. Cassandra held it up and looked at them for an answer.

"Now, I know that you can't read, so I'll explain to you what that paper means," Bruce stated, "It's a confirmation of adoption."

"Adopt?" Cassandra asked.

"Yes. That means you're my daughter now," Bruce explained, "You're Cassandra Wayne now."

A large smile spread across Cassandra's face before she leapt into Bruce's arms, hugging him tightly. Bruce gladly returned the hug as Cassandra buried her face into his shoulder, tears starting to well up in her eyes.

Kathy let out a sniff as she wiped her eyes, while Tony smirked at the picture. Alfred stood apart from it all, smiling proudly.

"Merry Christmas, Cassandra," Bruce whispered to her as he hugged her against him.

_Meanwhile_

Deep within down town Gotham, Vicki Vale and Jack Ryder walked side by side, dressed in festive and warm clothing.

"Thanks for inviting me out again, Jack," Vicki said with a smile.

"Hey, no problem, Vicki, I didn't have any plans anyway," Jack replied.

"No family to spend time with?" she asked.

"Nah, only child. Parents passed on a few years ago," he explained.

"Oh, I'm sorry," she said with sympathy.

"It's ok. That's life after all," he replied with a shrug, "So why are you free on Christmas day?"

"My family is out west and I was too busy to go out and see them. Getting settled, writing that Bruce Wayne story. I just couldn't," she explained.

"Sounds rough," Jack commented.

"My mother didn't take it well," Vicki said with a laugh.

"I'm sure," Jack replied with a laugh of his own.

"So what would you like to do?" Vicki asked.

"We could go grab a bite to eat, I know a good Chinese restaurant that's open today," Jack explained.

"That sounds good. Maybe we should invite Victor. You told me he doesn't get out much and I doubt he has Christmas plans of his own," Vicki suggested.

"You're probably right," Jack said as he pulled out his cell phone, "I haven't heard from Vic in a while. I hope he's not in one of his moods."

On the other side of town, a phone rang in a dark, rundown studio apartment. It went unanswered, it's owner occupied. In another room, dressed in a wife beater and sweat pants, punching and kicking a sandbag that was hanging from the ceiling. The bag swayed as the man beat on it, blood and sweat mixing as he did. Eventually, the phone stop ringing as the message machine picked up.

"I'm not here," the recording said simply in a gravelly voice, before it beeped, singling it had begun recording.

"Nice message you got there, Vic," Jack commented, "Listen, me and Vicki were going to that Chinese restaurant and we were wondering if you wanted to join us. Look I know you're just sitting there in your apartment brooding, so why not come out for some social interaction? Just think about it, okay?"

"Hrm," Victor muttered to himself as the machine beeped again, signaling the end of the message, leaving the creaking of the chains supporting the sandbag as the only sound in the apartment.

Putting his hand against the bag, he stopped it from swinging, before walking away, picking a water bottle and drinking from it as he walked to another part of the apartment. He came to a stop in front of a desk. Reaching out, he turned on the simple desk lamp sitting on the desk on, illuminating the desk in pale yellow light. As the desk was illuminated, so was the wall, revealing that it was covered with pieces of paper. News articles, photographs and a multitude of other bits of information, held up by thumbtacks and connected by pieces of red string, creating a literal web.

Victor leaned against the desk, looking closely at the various pieces of news. Each of them was from the last few months, each of them about the vigilante known only as the Batman.

"Hrm," he grunted as he reached out and took off one of the pictures, a grainy picture detailing Batman in profile.

"Who are you?" he asked, glaring at the picture.

_Later_

A man walked down the cold streets of Gotham. He was a tall man in his late thirties, of muscular build and African-American descent. He had light brown eyes and a black goatee, though his head was shaved completely bald. He wore a thick, dark blue jacket, along with jeans and white sneakers.

Walking up the stairs to a simple inner city house, he rang the doorbell. A few seconds later, the door was answered by another man, roughly the same age. He was a tall, muscular Caucasian man, with black hair and dark brown eyes. He wore a green sweater along with brown slacks and brown slippers.

"Lucas, you made it," the mas said happily, reaching out and shaking the other man's hand.

"Hey, Frank. Merry Christmas," the other man greeted.

"Come on in, Jessie was just putting dinner on the table," Frank said as he let Lucas step in.

"Well, you know how I feel about your wife's cooking," Lucas said with a laugh.

As he entered, there was a thundering of footsteps as two children ran in. One was a young boy, his hair black and his eyes brown, dressed in a red sweater and brown pants. With him was an even younger girl, with blond hair and blue eyes, dressed in a simple green dress.

"Lucas!" the boy said as he ran up and hugged the man.

"Hey, little man," Lucas greeted as he picked up the boy.

"Merry Christmas!" the girl cried, wrapping her arms around his leg. Lucas laughed as he lifted the girl into his arms as well.

"Same to you, little lady," he laughed before putting the kids back down.

"Come on, Lucas!" the boy said, grabbing Lucas' hand and trying to drag him away, "I have to show you all the cool stuff I got for Christmas!"

"Hold it, Timmy!" a woman's voice said strictly. Looking up, Lucas saw a woman enter the room. She was of Caucasian decent with a slim build and a pretty face. She had blue eyes and long blond hair held back in a ponytail. She wore a red sweater and grey slacks.

"We're having dinner right now," she instructed, "You can show Lucas your new toys after."

"Aww, but mom!" the boy, Timmy, whined.

"No buts, Timmy," she replied, "Now take Emily and go get ready for dinner."

"Fine," Timmy sighed as he and the girl, Emily, walked towards the kitchen. The woman watched them go before turning back to Lucas and Frank with a smile.

"It's good to see you, Lucas," she said as she walked up and embraced him.

"Same for you, Jessie," Lucas replied.

"I hope you've got an empty stomach, because I think I've out done myself this year," Jessie said with a laugh.

"Well, you know how I feel about your cooking," Lucas said with a smile as he made his way towards the kitchen.

"It's the least I could do to thank you for bringing my husband back to me every night," Jessie commented.

"Hey, I can take care of myself," Frank said in mock hurt.

"I know you can," Jessie replied with a smile, walking up to him and kissing him, "You're my big, strong man after all."

Frank smiled and kissed her again.

"Now, let's go eat before our food gets cold," Jessie said before leading Frank to the kitchen.

_Later_

"Thanks again for coming over, Lucas," Frank said as he led his friend outside.

"Hey, no problem," Lucas replied as he began to walk down the stairs to the sidewalk below, "I'll see you at work."

"Sure thing," Frank replied, "Merry Christmas, Lucas."

"Merry Christmas, Frank," Lucas stated as he waved while making his way down the street.

As Frank watched, his eyes drifted over the street, eventually stopping as something caught his attention. Standing across the street, at the mouth of alleyway, was a man watching him. The man appeared to be homeless, dressed in dirty brown pants, a tattered brown jacket and mud-encrusted boots. He was of Caucasian descent, with a tall, muscular build and shaggy brown hair along with a beard. What stood out most to Frank though, were the man's eyes. They were a dark brown, so dark that they were almost black, and they met Frank's gaze with such intensity that he almost felt the man was looking right through him. It was a look Frank could recognize anywhere.

"Marc?" Frank asked himself as he looked closer at the man. Seeming to realize he had been recognized, the man turned and walked back into the alley.

"Wait!" Frank yelled as he bounded down the stairs and ran across the street before darting into the alleyway. He looked around quickly, but the man had vanished. A confused look crossed Frank's face, before he shook his head and made his way back to his home.

As he left, the man, Marc, steeped out of the shadows he had been hiding in, watching him go. After a few seconds he turned and began walking away toward the other end of the alley, starting a search for a warm place to sleep where he would be left alone.

"Look what we got here," a voice said from the darkness, causing Marc to stop and sigh as half a dozen thugs walked out and surrounded him, "A bum."

"You know there's a toll to cross our turf," another thug explained, "But I really doubt someone like you has money."

"So we'll have to take it out in blood and flesh," a third said as he pulled out a switch blade.

A thug behind Marc cocked his arm back and threw a punch at the back of his head. With lightning reflexes, Marc dodged out of the way, whirled around and grabbed the man's still outstretched arm before holding it rigid and driving his palm into the man's elbow, shattering it. As the thug cried out in pain, Marc kicked him in the chest while letting go of his arm, sending him flying backwards and slamming into a wall, before he slumped down with a groan of pain.

The other men looked at Marc as he turned to look at them. His intense gaze fell on each of them in turn.

"Who's next?" he growled.

The men looked at each other in surprise, before their leader glared at him.

"Kill him!" he shouted, pointing at Marc. The other four immediately charged, brandishing weapons and their fists. One swung a wrench at him, which Marc ducked under before punching the thug in the gut. As he doubled over, Marc uppercut him, before following up and bringing his fist down on his upturned face, slamming the man against the ground. As the man tried to pick himself up, Marc kicked him in a stomach, ensuring he stayed down.

Another threw a punch at him, which he dodged to the side, before dodging a stab from another thug. As the third charged him, Marc whirled around and kicked him in the face, sending him rolling across the ground. Turning back to the knife wielding thug, he grabbed the man's arm as he stabbed at Marc, before punching him in the face and following up with a kick to the chest, sending the man flying away as he dropped his knife.

As he fought, the leader drew a gun and pointed it at Marc. As he did, a shadow suddenly appeared above him. Looking up, he caught sight of a pair of boots bearing down on him, before he was knocked out.

Glancing over his shoulder, Marc's eyes widened slightly as he saw Batman slowly standing up, stepping off the man who he had just knocked unconscious. Marc was quickly brought back to reality as one of the thugs threw a punch at him. Marc ducked the punch before hitting the man in the stomach half a dozen times, before thrusting his palm into the man's chest, knocking the man back. As he stumbled, Marc stepped forward and did a back flip, kicking the man in the face, and knocking him to the ground.

Meanwhile, Batman was attacked by the last remaining thug, wielding a piece of pipe. He blocked the man's swing before striking him across the face. As the man stumbled away, Batman grabbed his arm, before yanking him back while simultaneously kicking the man in face, dropping him like a rock.

As Batman looked at Marc, he saw him picking up the dropped knife and approaching one of the thugs, raising it to finish the man off. Before he could plunge it into the man, Batman grabbed his arm.

"That's enough," Batman growled as Marc looked back at him, "The fight's over."

"We could put these thugs down for good," Marc replied, "You're the Batman everyone is talking about aren't you? Isn't that what you're trying to do? Rid Gotham of scum like them"

"Not like this," Batman answered, "Now drop it."

Marc held his gaze for a few seconds, his dark brown eyes meeting Batman's blue ones, before opening his hand and dropping the knife. Batman nodded at him before letting him go, allowing Marc to turn and face Batman.

"Who are you?" Batman asked.

"Could ask you the same thing," Marc replied gruffly.

"Why are you living here on the streets?" Batman asked, "You've clearly been professionally trained. I doubt you're just an ordinary drifter."

"I'm here because I choose to be here," Marc replied, as he began to walk away "As I'm sure you are as well."

"You're here because you want to protect someone," Batman stated, causing Marc to stop and look at him.

"How?" he asked, looking at him with his dark brown eyes.

"I have my ways," Batman replied cryptically, "What I want you to know is that we are more similar then you think. The only difference is you are trying to protect one person, I'm trying to protect everyone."

With that, he pulled out his grappling hook and fired it into the air before zipping back up into the Gotham skyline. Marc looked up to watch him go, but lost him in the darkness. As he gazed up at the night sky, he saw the moon peeking out from behind the clouds, shining down on the dark city. He gazed at the moon for a few moments, lost in thought.

"Is that what you want from me, Khonshu?" he asked, still gazing at the moon, "Is this what you want me to do?"

Receiving no answer, Marc merely turned from the moon and continued to walk, the thugs moaning around him as sirens sounded in the distance.

_Meanwhile, Tony's penthouse._

Tony's penthouse sat darkened as snow slowly fell outside. Only the slight buzzing of electronics was heard as JARVIS went about his business. Down in the workshop, Tony's monolith computer sat quietly. At least until a light flicked on and it began to whirl with activity. As it did, a red light suddenly turned on, casting the computer in an eerie light.

"Warning!" JARVIS's voice stated, "Unauthorized access detected. Preparing counter-"

JARVISs voice was cut off as the light turned off.

"Authorization granted" JARVIS stated simply as the whole computer turned on. As it did, the screen changed, showing the image of a stylized woman's face colored green, casting the whole room in a strange light.

"Let's begin," flashed across the screen under the picture, before the screen turned off and the computer began to hum with activity.

A/N: Sorry for the long delay on this one, school and life kept getting in the way, along with loosing parts of it because my laptop wouldn't save correctly. Other than that though, this was a really fun chapter to write, and sets up more stuff to come in the future. Hope you guys liked this one! Please review! Later True Believers!


	21. Oracle

**Chapter 21: Oracle**

_Information is not knowledge._

-Albert Einstein

_December 27__th__, 2011, Tony's workshop_

Bruce walked into the workshop with Tony leading him, chatting as they went.

"I've been working up something special for you," Tony said as he made his way over to his work bench. Walking up to it, he picked up one of the cowls for Bruce's suit, before turning to face Bruce.

"I was thinking we should get some use out of these ears you insisted on having on the mask, so I put these in them," he said as he turned the cowl towards Bruce so he could see into them.

Looking into the cowl, he saw that some sort of electronic device had been installed into the ears of the mask, extending down to where Bruce's ears would be.

"A radio?" Bruce asked.

"Bingo," Tony said, pointing a finger at him, "A handy way of keeping in touch with yours truly, or JARVIS or the kid, or hell even Alfred if you want to know how to polish a dish in the field."

"So how does it work?" Bruce asked with a chuckle.

"Well, while you're wearing it, all you have to do is push on the area near one of your ears to talk. It will pick up any incoming transmission and relay it to you," Tony explained.

"How do I choose who I talk to?" Bruce asked.

"I've installed a wireless frequency changer on the arm of your gloves," Tony explained, holding up the glove in question, "Just tune into the frequency you want, and bam, you're jamming to the hits of the eighties or whatever you want to listen to while beating the scum of Gotham into a bloody pulp."

"Thank you Tony," Bruce thanked him, "This should be a real asset."

"Hey, James Bond needs his Q," Tony replied with a chuckle as he turned from the work bench.

"So any luck tracking down Selina Kyle?" Bruce asked as they walked up to the large computer.

"Somewhat," Tony replied, as he sat down at his computer, "She suspected in a bunch of other robberies and break-ins. And she has a nasty habit of disappearing when she gets caught or in trouble."

"So I take it a known address is out of the question?" Bruce asked.

"Any she's listed as having will likely be empty as soon as anyone gets there," Tony sighed as he turned on his computer.

As the computer booted up, there was a strange beeping noise. Raising an eyebrow in confusion, he turned to look at the computer, finding the screen still dark.

"JARVIS?" Tony said, "What's wrong with the computer system?"

"Nothing sir, you are accessing it right now," JARVIS's voice replied.

"I'm what!" Tony demanded as he stood up, "JARVIS run a full diagnosis!"

"Running," JARVIS replied, before he went silent for a few moments, "Sir, there appears to be an outside system accessing yours. I do not know how I did not notice it before. My apologizes, sir."

"Don't apologize JARVIS, just cut them off!" Tony exclaimed.

"I can't seem to sever the connection sir," JARVIS replied, "Sir, something is happening."

"What?" Tony asked, before the computer whirred to life. The screen turned on, revealing a woman's stylized face with a green background.

"Good morning, Mr. Stark," a feminine, yet synthesized voice said, "Mr. Wayne. Or do you prefer your other alias?"

"And what would that be?" Bruce asked, remaining calm.

"Batman," the voice replied simply, causing Bruce to glare at the screen.

"I'm guessing by your lack of argument that my assumption was correct," the woman replied, her voice smug.

"Who are you?" Tony demanded, glaring at the screen.

"You can just call me Oracle," the voice replied.

"Nothing pretentious about that," Tony scoffed.

"No need for insults, Mr. Stark," Oracle replied with a chuckle, "After all, I'm here to help you."

"Help us?" Bruce asked, "How?"

"Well, I know you are looking for one Selina Kyle, a.k.a. Catwoman," Oracle explained, "And I know where she is going to be."

"Why are you helping us?" Bruce asked.

"Because you are doing a good thing Mr. Wayne, and I want to help you in the best way I can," Oracle explained.

"And you felt you had to hack my computer?" Tony demanded.

"Consider it an application, Mr. Stark," Oracle said with a chuckle.

"So what intel do you have?" Bruce asked, stepping up to the computer.

"Bruce," Tony whispered harshly to him, "You can't honestly trust this woman. She hacked our systems and stole all the data about you."

"I didn't steal it," Oracle corrected, "Merely read it without your permission."

"I think she wants to help us, Tony," Bruce stated, "We can't afford to refuse good help, after all."

"Are you sure?" Tony asked again.

"It's not like we truly have much of a choice, do we?" Bruce replied, "So, Oracle was it? What information do you have to share?"

_Later_

A cold wind blew through the alleyways of Gotham, people moving briskly to their destination while the homeless sought out safe places to spend the night. However, up on one particular rooftop, a group of people had gathered, apparently uninterested in going anywhere else. About half a dozen men stood on the building, wearing large coats and other winter clothing while brandishing automatic weapons as they shifted around in order to stay warm.

With them was a man that was shorter than the others, but stocky and muscular. He wore an expensive looking suit under his winter jacket, and a machine gun hung around his shoulders. He had beady, brown eyes and black hair, which had been cut in a flat top haircut. He chomped on a cigar, the smoke billowing from it, mixing with the warm cloud of his breath.

Next to him stood a woman in her mid-twenties, with olive colored skin and jet black hair, part of which obscured her face, leaving only one, green eye to observe the world around her. She wore a black winter jacket, grey pants and black leather boots along with black gloves on her hands.

"You shouldn't be out here, Ms. Nefaria," the man said, eyeing her through narrowed eyes, "There's dirty work to be done."

"If I am to one day inherit my father's empire, I will have to become familiar with this dirty work," the woman replied in a cultured voice.

"Suit yourself," the man replied gruffly.

"Well, well," a voice said from the darkness, "Look what the cat dragged in."

At that, all the men, including their leader, pointed their guns at a shadowy corner of the roof.

"Easy boys," the voice said as Catwoman walked out of the darkness, "It's just me."

"Kyle," the man growled as he lowered his weapon, the other men following suit.

"Well, if it isn't Hammerhead himself," Catwoman practically purred as she walked over to them, "And it's Catwoman while on the job."

"Whatever you say toots," the man called Hammerhead replied, "This here is…"

"Giulietta Nefaria" Catwoman interrupted, "Count Nefaria's daughter."

"I see my reputation precedes me," Giulietta commented.

"I make it a point to know all about my clients," Catwoman explained.

"So did you get the goods?" Hammerhead asked, getting right down to business.

"Well, that's what I wanted to talk to you about," Catwoman said, a slight nervousness in her voice.

"That doesn't sound like you got the goods," Hammerhead growled.

"I ran into a snag," Catwoman explained, "A bat shaped one."

"You ran into the Batman!" Hammerhead said in shock, "He took down Big and the Enforcers!"

"I know, so you can guess how well I did!" Catwoman replied, "I was lucky to get away, but he got the pad from me."

"So you came here empty handed?" Hammerhead demanded.

"Look, if you just give me a few extra days I'm sure I can get it," Catwoman said, holding her hands up in front of her.

"Sorry toots," Hammerhead said, pointing his gun at her, "We have a deadline, plus the Kingpin doesn't tolerate failure."

"Come on guys," Catwoman pleaded as the other men raised their weapons as well, "We can talk about this."

The others didn't say anything as they cocked their weapons. Becoming slightly scared, Catwoman looked at Giulietta.

"Hey, can't you talk to them?" she asked.

"Sorry, these are the Kingpin's ways," she replied with an uncaring shrug.

"Kill her," Hammerhead growled to his men.

As the men were about to fire, there was a small clink of objects hitting the ground. Looking down, the men saw a few black spheres sitting at their feet. Before they could investigate further, the spheres exploded into pitch black clouds of smoke, obscuring everything around them.

"What the hell is going on!" Hammerhead demanded.

"It's some kind of smoke!" one of the men yelled.

"I can see that, dumbass!" Hammerhead shouted back, "Where did it come from!"

As he spoke, there were two loud thuds accompanied by muted screams of pain. This was followed by shouts of pain, sounds of punches being thrown and bullets being fired.

"What is happening!" Hammerhead bellowed.

As he said that, the smoke began to dissipate. As it did, a large number of Hammerhead's men were laying on the ground, unconscious. Only the two standing closest to him remained as Batman and Batgirl stood a few feet away from them, Batman holding a kneeling thug by the throat while Batgirl stood on a barely conscious one.

"Oh crap," Hammerhead whispered to himself.

"Batman and Batgirl," Giulietta stated, looking at them in surprise.

"Again?" Catwoman asked.

"Drop your weapons," Batman ordered, as he tossed the thug aside "And we won't hurt you."

"You don't get to order us around, punk," Hammerhead shouted, "This is Kingpin's city! You can't just dress up in some crazy costume and expect to scare us!"

"You sure about that?" Batman asked, looking at his men who were shaking in their boots.

"How did you find us anyway?" Hammerhead demanded.

"I have my sources," Batman replied.

"_Cryptic. I like it,_" Oracle said from over Batman's radio.

"_Let's keep the chatter to a minimum, shall we honey?_" Tony asked from his own channel.

"_Don't call me honey,_" Oracle shot back.

Batman growled to himself as he listened to the quick argument, wondering if allowing the two of them access to his radio was a good idea.

"Well, we'll worry about that later," Hammerhead stated, "Right now, I'm going to fill you and your little girl there full of lead, before plugging the cat here. Any last words, punk?"

"Behind you," Batman stated simply.

Before Hammerhead could ask what he meant, the sound of a whip cracking came from behind him as Catwoman's whip wrapped around his neck. Pulling it tight, Catwoman began to strangle Hammerhead as he dropped his gun to struggle with the whip around his neck.

"Unhand him!" Giulietta shouted, reaching into her jacket and pulling out a gun, before pointing it at Catwoman. Just as she pulled the trigger, Catwoman dropped her whip and dodged to the shot, hiding behind one of the AC units.

As the others were distracted, Batman and Batgirl rushed the two armed thugs. Batman ran up to the man, punching him in the face, causing him to stumble backwards. As he reeled, Batman grabbed the gun from his hands, before twirling it around and shoving the butt of the gun into his stomach. As he bent over, Batman slammed the gun into his face, causing his head to snap back, before Batman reached out and grabbed his neck and slammed him against the ground, knocking him unconscious.

Meanwhile, Batgirl slid to the ground as the man began to fire at her, the bullets pinging into the concrete behind her. Flipping onto her hands, she kicked the gun to the side before he could adjust his aim. Turning around, she kicked the man in the chest with both feet, causing the man to stumble backwards. As he reeled, Batgirl flipped back on to her feet, and ran at the man. Hopping up, she planted her foot on his chest, before whipping her foot around and kicking him in the face, flipping him onto the ground as she landed with an easy grace. As the man tried to pick himself up, Batgirl, hopped onto his back, before grabbing his arm and lifting it backwards. As he groaned in pain, Batgirl kicked his shoulder, causing him to cry out in pain as the bone snapped. As Batgirl let go, the man fell unconscious, the pain knocking him out.

As the two men were taken out, Hammerhead pulled Catwoman's whip from around his neck and tossed them to the ground. Growling in anger, he knelt down and picked up two of the guns dropped by his men before pointing it at Batman and Batgirl.

"Now I'll teach you some manners!" Hammerhead bellowed as he pulled the triggers of the guns, firing at them, forcing them to take cover.

As Batman rolled to a stop, he found himself taking cover alongside Catwoman.

"Fancy meeting you here," Catwoman quipped, ducking as a bullet pinged off the cover near her head.

"Why are they trying to kill you?" Batman demanded.

"I didn't get them what they wanted," Catwoman explained, "Thanks for that by the way."

"When we get out of this, you're telling me everything," Batman stated, before putting a hand to his ear, "Batgirl, do you hear me?"

"Hear you," Batgirl replied from her own position.

"I'm going to disarm the two of them, you take Hammerhead down," Batman instructed.

"Right," Batgirl replied.

"How do you plan on disarming him, exactly?" Catwoman asked.

Batman didn't answer her as he reached into his belt and pulled out three batarangs. Diving out past the piece of cover he was hiding behind, he rolled along the ground and threw the batarangs into the air. The throwing blades whirled through the air, before hitting the weapons out of Hammerhead and Giuletta's hands with pinpoint accuracy.

"Well," Catwoman said, peaking over the concrete wall, observing the scene with wide eyes, "That was impressive."

As the weapons were dropped, Batgirl rushed out from her hiding spot and leapt at Hammerhead, kicking him in the back, causing him to stumble and run into the concrete wall. Hopping up onto the wall, Batgirl grabbed Hammerhead's head before slamming it against the concrete, a loud cracking noise sounding as blood began to pour from the head wound. He collapsed to the ground, blood seeping from his wound.

"You bastards," Giuletta snarled, as she picked up the gun and pointed it at Batman and Batgirl. Before she could pull the trigger, Catwoman ran up next to her and kicked the gun out of her hand. As Giuletta turned to face her, Catwoman extended the claws from her gloves before swiping them across her face. Giuletta screamed in pain as she covered her injured face with her hands, blood running down it.

"Sorry," Catwoman said, looking at her claws with one of her hands on her hips, "Those are just my ways."

Turning to look at Batman and Batgirl, she smiled at the duo.

"Well, thanks for the save, I was in a really tight spot there," she said before turning to leave, "See ya around!"

Before she could leave, Batman grabbed her arm, stopping her. She tried to pull away for a moment, before sighing.

"We need to talk," Batman stated.

"Fine, what do you want to know?" Catwoman asked resignedly, turning to face them as Batman.

"Who wanted you to steal Tony Stark's datapad?" Batman asked.

"Well I'm sure you recognized Count Nefaria's chief lieutenant and daughter," Catwoman quipped.

"I have a feeling Count Nefaria didn't want the data for himself," Batman stated, "I think he was going to sell it to the highest bidder."

"And he's a detective," Catwoman purred, walking up and running one of her fingers along Batman's chest, "You're just full of surprises."

"Who's the buyer?" Batman demanded, ignoring her flirting.

"Justin Hammer," Catwoman stated with an annoyed sigh.

"Corporate espionage, then," Batman surmised.

"That's where all the money is," Catwoman replied with a shrug.

"Do you have any hard evidence?" Batman asked.

"Like a recording or something?" Catwoman replied, "Sorry Detective, but people hire me because I don't do stuff like that. Or at least they did."

"Sound like all we would have is your testimony," Batman stated.

"Testimony?" Catwoman asked, surprised, "What made you think you even have that?"

"Catwoman," Batman began before pausing, "Selina. You're in trouble here. If you think I'm just going to let you go, you're kidding yourself. I have evidence of one theft on your part, and I'm sure the police are interested in you for others. Plus, you just injured one of the Kingpin's top lieutenant's daughter, possibly maimed her."

Batman paused as Catwoman glared at her feet.

"You need friends right now Selina," Batman stated, "As they said, the Kingpin doesn't tolerate failure. He most certainly doesn't tolerate betrayal."

"So what, I have to choose between prison or death?" Catwoman demanded with a growl, "Seems like you've backed me into a corner."

"I'm trying to help you Selina," Batman replied.

"How!" Catwoman demanded, "It's your fault I'm in this mess in the first place!"

"Because I could take you to the police right now and have you arrested. And we both know that's a death sentence," Batman replied, "If you help me, I can get you a reduced sentence and, more importantly, protection."

"Why?" Catwoman asked.

"Why what?" Batman replied gruffly.

"Why are you helping me?" she demanded, "You said yourself that you could just throw me away to rot. Everyone says you're here to fight the crime in Gotham or something stupid like that. So why are you trying to help me, a thief? A criminal."

There was a silence as Batman said nothing, the quiet only broken by the wind over the rooftops and the nervous shuffling of Batgirl's feet.

"You're worth more to me alive then dead," he said gruffly.

"I figured as much," Catwoman replied, staring at her feet again, not noticing Batgirl's head snap around to look at Batman. Batman gave her a quick glare before turning and walking to the edge of the roof.

"Now try to keep up," Batman ordered, "We have to get you into police custody. With someone I can trust."

With that he hopped off the roof and went gliding through the cold winter air.

"He lying," Batgirl spoke up, startling Catwoman.

"What?" Catwoman asked, seeming to notice Batgirl for the first time.

"He lying," Batgirl repeated.

"How do you know?" Catwoman asked.

"Know him," Batgirl replied, "Not want…use you. Want…protect you…"

"Protect me?" Catwoman questioned.

"Protect everyone," Batgirl corrected, as she walked to the edge of the building, "Coming?"

"Right," Catwoman said, nodding to her. Batgirl nodded back before hopping off the roof. A small smile crept across Catwoman's face as she followed Batgirl.

"He wants to protect me, huh?" she said to herself before hopping off the building as well.

_The next day, at Blackgate Prison_

Fredrick, "the Big Man" Foswell sat in the visitor's room of the maximum security prison he was being held in until his trial. He was dressed in his large, orange jumpsuit and was sitting in a chair facing the reinforced plexiglass window. On the other side of said window, accompanied by his bodyguards, was the Kingpin.

"Thank you for coming to see me today, boss," Big Man stated, whipping his sweating brow.

"Of course Mr. Foswell," Fisk replied politely, "So, I understand the attack on the Batman and his young partner went very poorly."

"They were both far more skilled then we were expecting sir," Big Man replied.

"I could see that in how they wiped the floor with you and the Enforcers," Fisk stated with a hint of annoyance, "Not only that, but it seems they were able to interfere with the hits on Gordon and Murdock as well. You wouldn't happen to know anything about that, would you?"

"I uh…the thing is boss…" Big Man mumbled nervously.

"You seem to be at a loss for words, Foswell, so I'll tell you what I know," Fisk said, his eyes narrowing, "I know that it was you who told Batman where and when the hits were going to be carried out."

"Sir, you don't understand…he was going to kill me!" Big Man whimpered.

"But you know the price for failing me," Fisk said simply, glaring at him, "Was it really worth it?"

"Sir, please…I didn't want to tell him! He forced me too!" Big Man yelled, panicking, "Please sir, you have to understand!"

Fisk leaned back in the chair he had been provided, which creaked under his considerable weight as he crossed his arms in front of his chest and gave the Big Man a considering look.

"Perhaps you're right, Mr. Foswell," Fisk admitted, "This Batman character is a dangerous man, and he would have no doubt put you through considerable amount of pain. Luckily, you've caught me in a good mood. I just got back from a very enjoyable vacation with my family, so I'm feeling generous. I believe I can forgive this."

"Oh thank you sir!" Big Man gushed, "I swear you won't regret this!"

"I'm sure I won't," Fisk said with a smirk, "In fact I brought you something."

"What's that, sir?" Big Man asked.

"You're favorite girl. Candi was her name, correct?" Fisk asked with a grin, "She's here for a…conjugal visit."

"T-Thank you sir!" Big Man replied.

"Think nothing of it, Mr. Foswell," Kingpin said as he stood to leave, "Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas, sir!" Big Man said in return, as he stood and allowed the guards to lead him out of the room. Watching him leave, Fisk smiled as he adjusted his coat before leaving.

Making his way to the specialized meeting rooms, the guards led Big Man up to one of the doors, before opening it, revealing the darkened room beyond. Big Man eagerly stepped into the darkness as the guards closed the door behind him.

"You there Candi, baby?" Big Man asked the darkness.

"Oh yeah," a decidedly male voice said, "I'm here."

Before Big Man could ask what was going on, the lights were switched on, revealing a man sitting on the simple cot in front of him, looking at Big Man. He was tall with an athletic build. He wore a black, turtle-neck shirt that clung to his body, along with black gloves, cargo pants and combat boots. His most noticeable feature though, was the bright red ski mask he wore. Big Man takes a step back in horror, his blood running cold.

"H-Hood," he said as he began backing towards the door.

"Red Hood to be exact," he quipped as he stood up, "I think you know why I'm here Biggie."

"Hood," Big Man pleaded, putting his hands up "Please."

"Now let me ask you a question," Hood stated as he reached behind his back and pulled out a long curved blade, "You ever dance with the devil in the pale moon light?"

"No, please!" Big Man shouted as Hood pounced on him, knife raised, "NOOOO!"

What followed were obvious sounds of a struggle as well as blood curdling screams of pain and yet the guards outside did nothing. After a few moments, the sounds went silent as one of the guards turned to the other.

"So how much did the Kingpin pay you?" he asked with a smile.

"Five thousand, you?" the other guard replied.

"Same," the first guard replied with a chuckle, as they went back to their work.

_Later_

Barbara Gordon sat in her room, quietly working on her custom-made computer, her room illuminated by the glow of her dual monitors, the sound of her father moving around downstairs creeping up through the floorboards. Letting out a sigh, she leaned back in her wheelchair, pushing a strand of her long red hair out of her eyes as she adjusted her glasses. She was about to turn in for the night when a small sound caught her attention. Turning to look at her window, her blood ran cold as she saw a figure crouched in the window.

"Barbara Gordon," the figure said in a gravelly voice, as he stepped into the room.

"B-Batman," she whispered, frightful, "W-Why are you here?"

"I think you know, Barbara," Batman growled, partially illuminated by her computer screen, "Or do you prefer Oracle?"

"How did you know?" Barbara asked.

"I figured there was a good chance that the computer genius daughter of one of the few uncorrupted Gotham police detectives would be the hacker who was helping me," Batman explained.

"I suppose you're here to tell me to stop now," Barbara guessed, looking away, "Probably going to tell my father and have him arrest me."

"Actually, I was thinking the opposite," Batman replied simply.

"What?" Barbara questioned.

"My associates and I were impressed with your skills, especially your ability to track the movements of someone even we couldn't find. Add that to your ability to hack into Tony Stark's private network from your home computer, and you've earned yourself a job," Batman explained.

"W-What?" she asked, confused.

"We want you to continue to help us," Batman explained.

"Wow, I don't know what to say," Barbara said, still surprised.

"Yes," Batman stated simply.

"Oh right, of course, I accept," Barbara replied nervously.

"Very good, Tony said that he may have a more legitimate job for you as well, if you were interested," Batman explained as he reached into his belt, "He also wanted me to give you this."

Holding out his hand, Bruce revealed he was holding a small metal orb with a red button in the center. Attached was a note.

"Not bad hacking my systems," Barbara read aloud "Here's your reward. Keep up the good work. Don't do it again."

"So what do I…?" she began looking back up at Batman, only to find he had disappeared.

"Wow, that's awesome and horrifying at the same time," Barbara commented before turning her attention back to the device in her hand. Raising an eyebrow, she pushed the button with her thumb. As she did, the device began to hum as it vibrated in her hand, before it opened like a flower and flew out of her hand before sticking to the side of her computer. She panicked for a second, worried that the device was going to damage her computer, but it seemed to just sit there. After a few moments, the device began to beep as her computer seemed to turn itself on. Strands of codes ran across the screens before they began to glow blue.

"What in the world?" she said to herself as she leaned in closer. As she did, the image of an eye appeared on the screens.

"Good evening, codename Oracle," a robotic yet cultured voice greeted, "I am Just A Rather Very Intelligent System or JARVIS for short. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance and I look forward to working with you."

"W-Working with me?" Barbara asked, still surprised.

"Yes, ma'am," JARVIS replied, "Mr. Stark has put my skills and knowledge at your disposal. He believes we will make quite the team."

"This is the coolest thing ever…" she whispered to herself excitedly, before she began to get to work.

A/N: This chapter took longer than expected, but boy was it fun to write. Hope you guys liked it too. Also, a heads up. Instead of waiting to finish a fic before moving onto another one, I'm going to be trying to write a majority of my fics at once. I know it seems crazy and it will probably slow down updates, but I think it will move the overall story along faster. So look for more stories to come! Please review! Later True Believers!


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